The Other Evans Girl
by El Montgomery
Summary: The war was lost and the Order eradicated - all except one. The one that Voldemort really should have killed first. Hermione Granger rips apart space and time to make the impossible happen. January 30 1960, Lily Evans enters the world and so does her twin sister, Hermione. Marauders Era. EWE. Sirimione.
1. Chapter 1

**The Other Evans Girl - Chapter 1**

 **This is a Sirimione & Jily fic.**

 **Rating: M**

 **This will go through all the Hogwarts years and then into the war, so lots of gore and death, this will be your only warning.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **2001**

Tootree Road was never busy.

The street was a curvy country road set some ways apart from the wizarding village down below, although Kaygard village was no longer referred to as a wizarding village as their was no longer a need to differentiate between Muggle and Magical.

They were all Magical Villages.

Since Voldemort's takeover almost every inch of Great Britain was now Muggle free, what was left of the poor souls were held in camps and used for experiments, death their only form of freedom.

Until now.

Unlike most nights Tootree Road was bustling with activity and despite the fact that the Purebloods gathered did not know it, it was all thanks to the most wanted Witch in Britain.

Hermione Jean Granger.

Although at this moment in time, thanks to a dose of Polyjuice potion, the Witch looked nothing like herself.

Hermione's wild bushy hair and whiskey brown eyes, were now the long lustrous locks and grey eyes of Hestia Carrow, a Slytherin Witch that had been in her year back at Hogwarts but who had long ago taken to seclusion after the death of her twin Flora.

"Hestia?" called a voice in the crowd, "Hestia Carrow is that you?"

Hermione froze in her stride and willed back her sigh, she'd known that being spotted was a large possibility, after all, Theodore Notts engagement party was bound to be crawling with her former Slytherin classmates but why did she have to get stopped by this particular Witch.

"Pansy" Hermione smiled turning to face the dark haired Witch, "how lovely to see you" she lied

Pansy Parkinson looked almost exactly like the last time she'd laid eyes on her, her face still somewhat resembled a pug but her body had filled out. She was dressed in fine silk robes, draped in expensive jewellery and on the arms of a much older Wizard who'd rolled up his sleeves to proudly show off his dark mark.

Hermione had to fight the urge to not hex his arm off.

"Oh, my dear Hestia, it's been far too long" Pansy grinned, stepping up to wrap her arms around the supposed Hestia.

Hermione mechanically hugged her back, forcing her arms to lightly wrap around the other woman's waist, when they parted Hermione was surprised to see genuine warmth on Pansy's face.

"I have truly missed you" she quietly said, her eyes alight with relief. A throat clearing behind her made her stiffen, she plastered a smile on her face that was tinged with malice and dislike and then turned to face the older man, linking arms with Hermione.

"Hestia, I would like to introduce you to my husband, Herbert _Blishwick_ " his last name was said with such contempt that Hermione had to hide her surprise. She never heard of the name, Blishwick wasn't one of the great Houses and it surprised her that the egotistical Pansy Parkinson would marry below her station.

"Pleasure to meet you" Hermione grinned.

The man's gaze scrutinised every inch of her, from her dress robes that were terribly out of date to the great ring that marked her as a member of House Carrow on her finger.

He gave her a stiff nod before turning his gaze to his wife "we should head inside" he demanded

"Of course" Pansy said, looping her arm around Hermione's, she began to drag the Witch towards the Manor gate, falling into step behind a throng of Witches and Wizards.

Hermione steeled her nerves as Pansy prattled on, the gates had been spelled to keep all introducers out and to wipe away all enchantments but Luna had promised to come through for her, they'd worked too hard to stumble now.

"Did you ever imagine that Theo would end up with that mad woman?" Pansy smirked "but then again I suppose that none of us truly imagined any of this" she said, a sad tone to her voice, the same look on her face that Hermione had whenever she thought of Ron and Harry, her fallen friends.

The only fallen friend Pansy had was Draco Malfoy.

Was she thinking of him? Hermione wondered

Once Voldemort had finished with Harry and almost the entire Order, he'd made a show of eliminating the traitors in his own rank, the Malfoys had been publicly executed a week after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Draco's death had meant nothing to her, it still rarely crossed her mind but to those who loved him, those like Pansy, it must hurt as much her own losses.

Their were two Wizards standing guard at the gate their eyes closely watching the guests, Hermione held on just a little tighter to Pansy as they crossed the threshold.

Years and years of planning, the very survival of muggle kind, democracy and freedom, all depended on this moment.

Hermione felt the wards wash over her.

Her shoulders tensed and she stood absolutely rigid but the two Wizards standing guard merely waved her through.

If she was a lesser person, less experienced, less battle weary, she may have just collapsed in relief then and there but as she was Hermione Granger she merely put on a tight lipped smile and let Pansy drag her into Nott Manor.

"The colours don't match" Pansy snarked as soon they were through the front door and into the large lounge big enough to fit what seemed to be at least a hundred Witches and Wizards.

"Red drapes with a green carpet" Pansy sighed clearly frustrated, "can the woman do anything right"

"Theo likes her" Hermione shrugged, her eyes scanning the lounge in search of her friend.

"I still don't understand why" Pansy huffed, "this marriage has cost him a lot with our Lord"

Hermione tuned her out as her eyes landed on who she'd been searching for.

Luna Lovegood looked remarkably different to when she'd last laid eyes on her, just a little over three years ago.

Her golden hair was tightly pinned back into a bun, she wore a pin straight dark dress with dress robes to match and their wasn't a single odd item on her, no butterbeer cork necklace or radish earrings.

She felt guilt well up in her, they were the only two left but whilst Hermione had hidden in the depths of Wizarding Britain fighting against the monsters, Luna had to conform and live amongst them.

She was her greatest spy and her only ally.

Luna suddenly turned towards her and although the light in her blue eyes had long diminished, Hermione could still recognise the delight that filled them when she saw her.

"Oh, no" Pansy sighed, "she's coming over"

Hermione struggled to hold back her grin when it finally hit her that she didn't have to, this wasn't a discreet meeting that couldn't last for more than a minute.

This was one friend at the engagement party of another.

As soon as Luna was close enough, Hermione threw her arms over her, wrapping her in the tightest hug she could.

Luna returned the hug, both conveying their sadness and delight.

"I didn't realise the two of you were friends?" Pansy's snarky voice filled the air

Hermione reluctantly pulled back from Luna.

"Best friends" She beamed, far more to those words than the likes of Pansy Parkinson would ever understand.

Luna's eyes filled with tears but with a sigh, she held them back.

They were slammed for time and they had a lot to do.

"Pansy" Luna said with more authority than Hermione had ever heard from her, "if you don't mind, I have to borrow Hestia for a moment"

Luna didn't wait for the Witch to reply before pulling Hermione away. They made it through the lounge and up various stairs until they made it into the attic.

Once the door was closed, Luna whipped out her wand and held it to her throat.

"Password?" She demanded

"The Otter and the Hare, they do despair" she automatically recited.

Luna's face split into a grin and she slammed herself into Hermione, hugging her so tight that her ribs began to protest.

"Hermione Granger, how I have missed you" she said pulling back, the tears easily falling this time around.

"How have you been?" Hermione asked, trying to hold back her own tears.

"I can't complain" Luna shrugged, her eyes roaming over Hestia's features, "I wish I could see you" she frowned

"If we don't do this quick enough, you just might" Hermione warned

They instantly got to work, Luna revealed the potion that she'd been concocting, hidden away at the back of the attic.

"And you've done it just as I wrote?" Hermione asked

"It took me seven tries, but I've got it just right" Luna assured her, "I've never seen a potion so difficult to make, the ingredients alone were near impossible, if it wasn't for Theo, I wouldn't have managed to get even half"

"I know" Hermione said "thank you Luna, I never would have asked if I could have managed alone"

"You don't have to thank me" Luna smiled "but are you sure about this?" she asked as Hermione pulled out what seemed to be three bones and a silver time turner and placed them all besides the cauldron.

"It's the only way" Hermione shrugged "we've lost this war but this doesn't have to be the end"

"It could be for you" Luna argued

"What do I have left?" Hermione bitterly smiled "my end came a long time ago" she said "this….this is the only way to change that ending"

Hermione picked up one of the bones, like all the others it was tightly wrapped around a strand of Hermione's brown hair.

The bone belonged to Henry Evans, father of Lily and Petunia Evans.

Hermione carefully dipped the bone into the potion all the while reciting the incantation, once it was fully submerged, she moved on to the next bone.

It belonged to Viola Evans, mother of Lily and Petunia Evans.

Hermione did the exact same thing, slightly changing the incantation to include the word mother instead of father.

The final bone belonged to Lily Evans, this time Hermione used a different incantation, she didn't want Lily to be her mother or father, she needed to merge with her and then separate from her, she needed to become her twin.

Once that was over, Hermione heaved a sigh, she was so close to ending this madness.

With careful hands, she pricked her finger, the blood landing on the silver time turner that had taken her years to create from scratch.

"Last bit" she assured Luna who seemed to be holding her breath from all the tension.

Hermione picked up the time turner and then slowly dipped it into the potion, reciting the date and time she needed.

 _January 30, 1960._

The day Lily Evans was born.

Once that was finished, she lifted up the time turner by its chain and used a freeze spell to keep the potion from dripping down.

"How long?" Luna asked as Hermione place it around her neck

"If we've done it right, about a minute" Hermione answered, she felt a wave of nausea hit her and she stumbled before catching herself.

"This is too dangerous" Luna frowned "their are so many things that could go wrong, there's a reason why people shouldn't mess around with time and space"

"Which is why I've kept my plan short and sweet" Hermione forced a grin "kill Voldemort and live happily ever after" she smirked as a harder wave of nausea hit her "I'll see you again, Luna Lovegood, I promise" their was a momentary pause and her brown eyes connected with Luna's blue for the last time before everything disappeared.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **1968**

As a child of the 40's Viola Evans had brought much worry to her dear Mother, climbing trees, playing in the mud, collecting frogs well into her teens, it had all driven Marigold Greer up the wall.

One of her mothers most consistent phrases had been 'girls do not' and then whatever Viola had been doing at the time.

She'd long ago promised to learn from her own mother's flaws when she had children of her own but trying to raise three happy, independent, strong willed girls through the 60's was no easy feat.

At eleven years old, Petunia seemed to be like most pre-teens, she was a bit immature for her age and her peers didn't much like her but she had a steady friend in Amelia Pax and once September rolled around she would surely make some more at her new school.

Her second daughter Lily was perhaps her easiest child, sunshine and smiles was what came to mind when one thought of Lily Evans. A very easy going child, daring and sweet all at once, their wasn't a child on their street that didn't call Lily their friend.

It was her youngest daughter by thirteen minutes that had really earned Viola's sympathy for her dear mother. Hermione Primrose Evans had been a cause for concern from the moment she entered the world.

Poor thing had had the cord wrapped around her neck causing a real frenzy in the delivery room that had made Viola's heart race at a frantic pace, a pace that eight years later had never returned to its normal steady rhythm.

As a baby she'd been a difficult child, crying all hours of the day, as a toddler she's been unnervingly quiet and now as a child she was rather odd.

Nice, intelligent, lovable, but odd.

It was a bright sunny day in the middle of May and with determined steps she walked into Hermione's room and pulled back the drapes, much needed sunlight penetrated the room causing the little girl on the bed to groan aloud and use the large book in her hands as a shield over her face.

Viola put her hands on her hips, a steely glint in her brown eyes as they landed on Hermione, who couldn't see her mothers determination because the book covered everything but her wild bushy curls.

"It's time to go out and enjoy the sunshine" She demanded

Hermione lowered her book, her eyes had always unnerved Viola, they were the same whisky brown as her own but their always seemed to be a darkness brimming just under the surface.

They stared at each other for several seconds before Hermione gently sighed, realising that this wasn't a battle that she could win.

She closed the book and placed it on her desk. "No more than an hour" she sternly said, walking out of the room without a backwards glance.

Viola frowned as her eyes scanned Hermione's bedroom, whilst Petunia's was covered wall to wall with the latest boyband and Lily's was draped in bright colours and family pictures, Hermione's room was rather bare, the only picture she had was of the five of them and it had been placed face down.

With a sigh, Viola put the picture to right, it was a lovely one taken just last summer, the sun was beaming down and all five of them were grinning ear to ear.

Apart from her eyes Lily was her mirror image with the same red hair and high cheekbones, Petunia took a striking resemblance to Henry, with her long neck and blond hair, whereas Hermione was a mixture of the two, she had Henry's wild curls but much darker and Viola's whisky brown eyes.

Her frown grew as she stared down at the picture, it wasn't rare to see Hermione smiling, compared to Petunia she did it quite a lot but Viola could never shake the fact that it wasn't real, that Hermione smiled because that was what was expected of her and not because she was genuinely happy but this picture, this snapshot of a day at the beach, it was one of those moments were her daughter looked truly happy, it was a smile that Viola wished she could burn to memory so that when she felt at a loss with her daughter, she could bring it forth and find some comfort in it.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **1970**

The brisk cold had slowly given away to April's sunny warmth, that usually meant that at least two of her daughters would be out and about but surprisingly enough all three Evans girls were cooped up in the house, Lily was in her bedroom whilst Hermione and Petunia were in the lounge.

She'd felt an uncomfortable air during breakfast between her two eldest but it was only now that she was fully coming to terms with the fact that Petunia and Lily were having a disagreement.

They'd always had silly fights but nothing that lasted more than a few minutes, at thirteen and ten she supposed that they were simply getting older.

Out of curiosity Viola wandered into the lounge, Petunia was sat on the floor right in front of the tv, whilst Hermione was laid out on the couch, a magazine in her hands.

She lifted up Hermione's feet, sat on the couch and then placed them on her lap.

"What are you reading?" she curiously asked, it wasn't like Hermione to pour over her fashion magazines, she'd much preferred Henry's books.

"The Reaper's image" Hermione replied, her eyes still on the magazine

"What!" Viola snapped, so startled that she snatched the magazine out of Hermione's hand to check the cover and it was indeed that awful horror story that they'd warned about in the news, written by that Mr King.

"This isn't for children" Viola sternly said, her face reflecting the anger she felt within

"It's Stephen King" Hermione argued "and it's not even that scary"

"That is beside the point, who gave this to you?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed and her lips pinched into a tight line, it was a look Viola had grown accustomed to over the years and one she rather disliked

"It was Lily" Petunia spoke up, a satisfied glint in her eyes

"Shut up!" Hermione snapped

"Hermione!" Viola said aghast "you do not talk to people like that, have you no manners?"

"She got it from that awful boy-" Petunia continued

"He's not awful" Hermione cut her off

"He's from Spinner's End" Petunia retorted

"That doesn't make him awful"

"He's rude!"

"He's N…Well, yes I suppose he is rude" Hermione conceded.

"Who are you speaking about?" Viola asked

"Severus Snape" they said simultaneously

"Who?" Viola asked

"He's Lily's new friend" Hermione informed her

"And he lives in Spinner's End" Petunia added

"Well, yes, I'd gathered that already" Viola frowned

"He called Lily a Witch" Petunia quickly informed her

"What? That's awful"

"He didn't mean it in a bad way" Hermione asserted

"Is their a good way to call someone a Witch?" Petunia scowled

"Enough" Viola demanded "stop the sniping, it's unbecoming"

"So this Severus, who is he?" Viola asked

She was rewarded with two blank faces

"You'd have to ask Lily, he's her friend" Hermione shrugged

"Just Lily's?" Viola asked surprised

"We don't get along very well" Hermione smirked and the look made Viola pause, it wasn't one she was use to seeing on Hermione's face, her daughter seemed to always either be disinterested or annoyed, this was a rather unusual development.

"He doesn't get along with anyone" Petunia interjected "he's weird" she said in a way that meant that the matter was not up for debate

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **1971**

The day Minerva McGonagall knocked on their door was a rather enlightening one.

Her show of magic and assurances of the magical world helped calm and to some degrees excite Viola, her daughters reactions or one daughters reaction unsettled her.

Hermione had smiled, it wasn't one of those fake plastered on ones that she was use to seeing or the rare legitimate ones that only crept up in a blue moon.

It was something new, more of a smirk than a smile. She'd stayed quite throughout the whole thing, as Lily whooped in the air and Henry asked question after question, Hermione seemed content to sit and stare off into space, lost in her own mind, as if their was a big joke but no one else understood the punchline

She'd noticed as well.

The Professor and that bothered Viola, people didn't warm to Hermione, her teachers were always distant, even wary and children tended to avoid her. When she first started at Preston Primary, clever and quiet Hermione had been a clear target for bullying, but then things started to happen to those children that bothered her.

Michael Johnson had broken his arm - twice.

Grace Dunker had cut off her own hair in the middle of the night.

Lucy Reems had locked herself in one of the store rooms and had refused to come out.

Each time was after a bullying incident, Viola had brushed them all off as a coincidence, thankful that children soon stayed away from Hermione, leaving her in peace but now?

Her eyes landed on Hermione, she couldn't have done those things on purpose, she was only a child.

"Earlier you mentioned accidental magic" Viola said

"Yes" Professor McGonagall nodded "at a young age magical children can become overwhelmed or frightened, this leads to an outburst of magic that they can't control"

"Can't control?" Viola said relived "so magical things can happen without their knowledge or intent?" she asked

"Precisely" McGonagall confirmed, her eyes moving to Hermione "is their a specific reason for your question?"

"No" Viola replied far too quickly, keeping her eyes firmly away from Hermione. "Just curious"

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **Next Update: Tomorrow and then weekly updates afterwards.**

 **Hermione's arrival will change Canon events, her actions will have an impact, so no comments about how xxx didn't happen in Canon or how I've skipped something because I did that on purpose.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Other Evans Girl - C2**

 **Pleasantly surprised with the response from chapter 1, thanks guys. Just a small insight in to my Hermione Evans and her emotional state. She's spent years alone, in danger every second, her only ally acting as a spy and with the knowledge that if she failed, that was it. Now she's been thrust into this situation where she's essentially a child with the experiences and memories of a much older version of herself. So she really isn't all that easy to deal with.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

August 1971

Lily Evans was as carefree as most eleven year olds could be, she rarely had worries that she deemed serious enough to trouble her - until now.

Her best friend in the whole entire world was her twin, Hermione. That would never change but her friendship with Severus was very important to her and the two just didn't get along.

Well, actually, Severus didn't get along with Hermione, Hermione just wasn't interested in other people to care enough about them but as they were all going to Hogwarts together, she was determined to get the two to find some kind of common ground.

"Why do I have to ask her?" Severus frowned

"Because you were rude to her first!" Lily determinedly said, crossing her arms across her chest in what she hoped was a great impression of her mother when she was annoyed at them.

"No, I wasn't" Severus said, although it lacked the punch his earlier words had.

"The very first day we met, by the swings, you said that she wasn't a Witch" Lily rebutted

A flash of guilt crossed his face and he averted his gaze "how was I suppose to know?" he feebly argued "she never did anything" he said raising his head, "not like you" he proudly asserted

Lily sighed, uncrossing her arms "you need to be the one to hold out a hand of friendship, if we're all going to be at Hogwarts together, you need to get along with my sister"

The mention of Hogwarts bought a smile to Severus' face and crushed whatever was left of his resolve "alright" he conceded, any doubt disappearing when Lily smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sev" Lily grinned, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug. Severus' smile was the largest she'd ever seen. "Let's go now" she urged, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him through the streets of Cokeworth, Severus happily obliged.

Lily barrelled through her front door, Severus right behind her.

A quick look in the lounge and the dining room came up empty, "she's probably in her room" Lily said and began to walk up the stairs, only stopping when Severus didn't follow.

"What's wrong?" She asked

He looked deeply uncomfortable "I'm not sure that I'm allowed upstairs" he said, his face marred with worry

"Don't be silly" Lily smiled "you've already met my mother and she knows that you're my friend, and my friends are allowed upstairs" she confidently explained.

Although he still looked uncomfortable, their was very little in the world that Severus would refuse his only friend, so with reluctant steps, he climbed up the stairs.

"Petunia and Mum and Dad are on this floor" Lily explained "Hermione and I are one floor up"

"Do you share a room" he curiously asked, his eyes scanning the landing, although the house was only slighter bigger than his own, it was much, much cleaner.

"No" Lily shook her head "we haven't since we were six, Hermione use to have nightmares" she said as if that utterly explained why they no longer shared a room.

The door right across the second set of stairs opened up just as they were about to climb up it.

"What are _you_ doing here?" the voice was scathing and offended and on instinct alone, Severus found himself standing behind Lily, who stood tall and strong and angry on her friends behalf.

"I let him in, Petunia!" Lily snapped, unyielding in front of her older sister's anger.

Severus felt a strange surge of confidence and happiness, no one, not a single person had ever defended him and he'd be damned if he let her face the Muggle on her own.

He moved so that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Lily and not hiding behind her,

The action only infuriated Petunia.

"Does Mother know?" she demanded

"Yes!" Lily lied

Petunia's eyes narrowed, going from Lily to Severus and back to Lily

"His kind isn't welcome here" she finally managed to say, spite and hurt clear in her tone.

Lily's brows furrowed more confused than angry, "his kind is _my_ kind and Hermione's kind" she reminded her sister

Petunia looked deeply upset, anger glimmering in her eyes. "I'm telling Mother about this!" she snapped all but running down the stairs, yelling after their mother.

"Don't worry, you won't get into trouble" Lily assured him

"But will you?" Severus asked worried, he hated being in trouble, although his mother did her best she could never stop that Muggle from hurting him, would Lily's mother hurt her the same way?

"No" Lily smiled, her eyes catching something just over his shoulder, Severus tilted his head towards Petunia's open door way, his eyes going wide when he spotted the Owl in the room.

Without thinking, Severus followed after Lily into the room.

"Isn't she pretty?" Lily grinned, petting the brown Owl, Severus' attention however was fixated on the letter with the broken Hogwarts seal.

"How did a Muggle write to Hogwarts?" he mused aloud, his eyes scanning over the letter, snorting at the contents, the gall of the Muggle, thinking that her sort would be allowed to attend Hogwarts.

"What is it?" Lily asked, coming to stand by his side so that she could better see the letter.

"They must have Wizards in the postal system" Severus remarked "How else could a Muggle get a letter to Hogwarts.

"I thought that she didn't want to go?" Lily said surprised, "that she hated the whole idea of Hogwarts" she frowned

"Clearly not" Severus snorted "She's a Muggle, of course she'd lie, they _all_ want to be like us" he said

"It was nice of the HeadMaster to write back to to her" Lily said.

"What are you doing in here?"

Lily and Severus simultaneously turned, guilt on both their faces, to see the person that they'd been planning to see staring them down.

"Hermione" Lily said, "we were coming to see you" she explained

Hermione raised a brow, her eyes moving from Lily to the letter in Severus' hand. Lily hastily grabbed the letter and placed it back down on the desk, Hermione's gaze went back to Lily.

"This isn't my room" she deadpanned "and if Petunia found you rifling through her things, it'd be the beginning of world war three" she said her lips turned down at the corners.

"It's my fault" Lily said "I dragged poor Severus in here because I saw the Owl" she sheepishly smiled, "but you're right, we better get out of here before Petunia gets back" she nodded and began to walk out of the room, Severus smartly followed after her.

They both walked passed Hermione, who firmly shut the door to Petunia's bedroom.

"You both better go before she comes back" Hermione warned

"Why don't you come with us?" Lily smiled "Get some sunlight and fresh air" she suggested

Hermione scrutinised the both of them before turning them down "I'm in the middle of a page turner" she explained but Lily was nothing if not persistent.

"Severus has something he was planning to say to you" she explained "and it would be good for all of us to spend some time together before we go to Hogwarts"

Hermione was clearly going to turn her down so Lily jumped in with what she was sure would get her to agree.

"It's really important to me" she beseeched

Hermione froze, her reluctance clear on her face, a few seconds passed but then she sighed and shrugged "fine"

"Yes!" Lily cheered "now let's go before Petunia shows up" she grinned

Her day of bonding hadn't exactly gone to plan, Severus had yet to make amends and Hermione was just a difficult person to connect with.

She'd been hoping that Severus' vast knowledge of Hogwarts would help, Hermione loved getting information that she didn't have, but she just seemed rather dulled by the whole thing.

"Tell her about the talking portraits" Lily enthused. They were sat by the river bank, their socks and shoes off, with their bare feet submerged in the river.

"Oh yes, the portraits talk" said Severus, Lily's elbow nudged his arm and she sent him a frustrated look. "Some of them even work as security." He hastily added, "To get in to the Common rooms you have to give a password and for Gryffindor House, you have to give it to a portrait"

Lily triumphantly grinned when that finally managed to get Hermione's attention.

She turned away from the river, where she'd been lazily gazing into and looked at Severus "how do you know that?" she asked

"My mother went to Hogwarts" he quickly explained

"Was she in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked

"No!" Severus said offended, "Thanks Merlin's beard for that"

Hermione's face darkened "What's wrong with Gryffindor House?" she asked

Severus seemed surprised and quickly said "nothing!" but the damage was done, Hermione sighed and rose up from her seat.

"I think I've had enough sunlight for the day" she smiled, grabbing her shoes and socks

"Don't go" Lily pleaded but nothing could dissuade the younger girl

"I'll see you later" she said, promptly walking away

"She doesn't like me" Severus informed Lily

Lily gave him a strained smile "Hermione doesn't like anyone" she shrugged, but that did little to assuage Severus' feelings.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Diagon Alley was every bit as impressive as Severus had promised. The cobblestoned street was filled to the brim with magical families, so much so that Lily couldn't walk without bumping in to anyone.

"We need to get to Gringotts Wizarding Bank first" Her father informed them

"It's that way" Hermione pointed

"How do you know?" Petunia scowled, she'd tried to stay at home but had been dragged against her will.

"Because it says so right there" Hermione rolled her eyes, pointing to the words Gingrotts bank engraved on a snow white multi storied marble building that towered over all the others on the street.

"Good eyes, love" Their father beamed.

Lily had thought that Gringotts looked impressive on the outside, but the inside took her breath away

"What are those?" Petunia said frightened, pointing at the small creatures behind the counters.

"I wouldn't point" said a voice and the three Evans sisters turned to see a boy, almost as tall as Petunia, who'd be turning fourteen soon.

He was very pretty for a boy, with a head of curly brown hair and sky clear blue eyes.

"Goblins get very easily offended"

"Is that what they are?" Lily asked "Goblins?"

"Yes" The boy smiled "and if you want to walk out of here completely intact, I wouldn't cross them"

The information frightened Petunia who shrinked back to hide behind their mother.

"Didn't mean to frighten you girls" he smirked, looking anything but sorry

"We weren't frightened" Hermione shook her head "It'll take a lot more than Goblins to scare me" she said

"Oh really" the older boy smirked, his whole face lighting up

"Really" Hermione smirked back, a strange glimmer in her eyes

"I'm Benjy Fenwick" the boy smiled, holding his hand out for Hermione to shake

"Hermione Evans" she replied, "this is my sister, Lily"

Benjy shook Lily's hand but his eyes remained on Hermione, "I have to run off" he said pointing his thumb behind him "but I guess I'll be seeing you both at Hogwarts"

"It's our first year" Lily explained

"It'll be my second" Benjy smiled "aim for Hufflepuff House" he told Hermione before running off.

"He was a bit rude" Lily frowned

"Was he?" Hermione asked, "I didn't notice"

"And you were bit nice?" Lily raised a brow

"I'm always nice" Hermione said surprised, her wide eyes causing Lily to chuckle at her.

 **}{—}{—}{**

After Gringotts, The Evans family ticked off almost all the stores listed on the Welcoming letter, they'd gotten their uniforms from Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, their books from Flourish and Blotts, where they spent far too long a time trying to drag Hermione away, who'd refused to leave without three extra books that weren't listed.

Lily wondered why Hermione needed ' _Numerology and Grammatica'_ , ' _Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms'_ and ' _Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science'._ She doubted that she'd understand a word of it anyway.

"Next Stop, Magical Menagerie" Their Dad grinned "unless you girls want an Owl?" he asked

"I want a cat" Lily smiled "Severus says that Hogwarts have their own Owls that we can use to send letters home"

"Magical Menagerie it is then" Henry nodded.

The animal shop wasn't as busy as some of the others but it was much, much louder.

"Ohhh, look at them" Lily grinned, her eyes instantly landing on the cat section. "How am I suppose to pick just one?" she asked

"Quickly" Petunia sniped

"Girls" Their mother sighed but Lily was far too excited for Petunia to ruin her mood, she walked on down to the cat section and carefully analysed each one, before settling on a tabby cat the same colour as Hermione's eyes, whisky brown.

"I want him" she told her Mum, "doesn't he reminded you of…where's Hermione?" she asked

"She went with your father down there" Viola said "you were too busy to notice" she smiled

"Toads?" Lily frowned looking at the section her mother had pointed at, "why would Hermione pick a toad over a cat?" she asked appalled at the idea. "Cats are amazing" she shook her head.

They managed to track down a shop assistant who took the cat named Toby out of his cage and into Lily's arms.

"He's perfect" she grinned, just as Hermione and Henry walked up to them, carrying a glass cage, with a dark green toad inside.

Petunia frowned at the sight and Lily had to work hard not to do the same

"You really bought a toad?" she asked, trying to sound enthusiastic

"They're survivors" Hermione grinned "meet Augustus" she proudly said, holding up the cage "Gus for short"

"This is Toby" Lily smiled, "and still Toby for short" causing a small grin to appear on Hermione's face.

"Can we go now?" Petunia asked

"Just one more store" Their mother promised.

Ollivander's was right at the heart of Diagon Alley, with it's shabby look, it was easy to miss amongst all the colour on the street.

The shop was tiny, empty except for a single, spindly chair in the corner. Thousands of narrow boxes containing wands were piled right up to the ceiling of the tiny shop, and the whole place had a thin layer of dust about it.

A man with a shock of white hair and skinny fingers appeared from behind a row of boxes

"Who do we have here?" he asked, his dark eyes searching amongst the Evans family.

Viola spoke up "Our daughters are starting Hogwarts this year and are in need of a wand" she said

"Well you're in the right place" he joked "step up then girls"

Whilst Lily had been excited all day, running head first into everything, her nerves kept her rooted to the spot, what if it was all a big mistake and she wasn't a Witch? What if she didn't get her own wand?

Hermione stepped up, not a lick of nerves about her.

Ollivander whipped out his own wand and slashed at the air, a purple measuring tape appeared out of nowhere and hovered besides Hermione.

"Wand arm up" Ollivander instructed

Hermione lifted her right arm and the measuring tape got to work, the easy displace of magic thrilled the Evans parents whose wide smiles reached from ear to ear.

"I'll be just a moment" Ollivander promised, disappearing behind the large rows of boxes.

"Rather eccentric isn't he" Henry grinned

"It's wonderful" Viola smiled, encouragingly placing a hand on Lily's shoulder, unaware of the dark scowl gracing the face of her eldest daughter.

Ollivander returned with five boxes.

"Let's give this one a try" He said, holding out a dark brown wand, "Applewood with a dragon heartstring"

Hermione didn't look excited or nervous, just indifferent as she took the wand and gave it a flick.

The empty chair in the room shattered to pieces, startling the Evans family.

"It's alright, we have plenty more" Ollivander said, taking the wand back and handing her another "Ashwood with a unicorn hair" he explained

Hermine gave it a flick and a stream of water burst out of the tip, soaking the counter. Ollivander hurriedly took it back and a flick of his own wand got rid of the water.

He wordlessly handed Hermione another "Vine wood, ten and three quarters with a dragon heartstring" although it was almost unnoticeable Hermione's mood had changed with this wand, the dull boredom seemed to be replaced with anticipation.

She gently wrapped her fingers around it and gave it a wave, the wand instantly jerked out of her hand, sailing across the room and landing on the ground with a smack.

Confusion swept across Hermione's face, a look that Ollivander mistook for sadness, "I've never not managed to pair a wand and a Witch, don't you worry dear, your wand is here somewhere" he reassured her but Hermione was far too focused on the wand that had just rejected her to pay attention to him.

It took two more tries before a strange glint appeared in Ollivander's eyes "I wonder?" he spoke aloud scrutinising Hermione from head to toe before disappearing into the back of his store.

"We'll find it" Lily reassured Hermione, who seemed oddly dejected.

Viola and Henry shared a look, Hermione wasn't the sort to get so easily upset.

Ollivander returned with a single wand, the box covered in so much dust that it was difficult to make out its original colour. He pried it open and gently held up the wand, an eager expression on his face, "11 inches long, made from Holly wood with a Phoenix feather at it's core" he said reverently.

Tension seemed to sweep over Hermione, her shoulders went stiff and her spine rigid.

Lily couldn't understand why, perhaps she was worried that this one would also reject her?

With great reluctance, Hermione took the wand from Ollivander and almost instantly great big sparks erupted out of the tip, filling the small shop with loud colourful bangs.

A great big smile appeared on Ollivander's face "I told you" he proudly declared to Hermione, who didn't look at all enthusiastic.

"Thank you" she said stiffly, carefully returning the wand to Ollivander to wrap up.

With Hermione getting her own wand, Lily's excitement returned tenfold.

"Come on up" Ollivander told her, once he'd finished with Hermione's wand.

It didn't take half as long to find Lily's wand, after measuring her arm, it took exactly three tries before Lily gently gripped the Willow wand, it was ten and a quarter inches long, with Unicorn hair at it's core.

A warmth surged up her arm and filled her entire body, as a bouquet of flowers popped out of the tip of the wand.

"How marvellous" Viola grinned as Lily beamed from ear to ear.

This was just the beginning of marvellous things that she would see in the Wizarding world, she could just feel it and she'd get to witness it all with her sister by her side.

 **}{—}{—}{**

"You write to me every week" Viola demanded, holding Hermione in far too tight a grip "and if anyone gives you any problems you go straight to a Professor and they'll sort it"

"Viola, let the girl go" Henry smiled, causing Viola to tighten her grip.

Lily was only half heartedly listening to her family saying goodbye, she'd already been forced to go through her mother's tight hugs and her father ruffling her hair, she'd moved on to say goodbye to her eldest sister but what was suppose to be a joyous moment had quickly transformed into something rather heated.

"You didn't think that it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the Headmaster and begged him to take you."

Petunia turned scarlet.

"Beg? I didn't beg!"

"I saw his reply. It was very kind."

"You shouldn't have read — " whispered Petunia. "That was my private – how could you –?"

Lily gave herself away by half glancing towards where Severus stood, nearby. Petunia gasped.

"That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"

"No-"

"Stay away from me you — You — You — You Freak!" Petunia snapped, heatedly turning away to stand by their parents who were far too immersed in their goodbye to Hermione to notice the scene that had just occurred.

Petunia's words were like a strong smack in the chest, heat rushed up her face and her eyes stung, but she'd never cry in front of Petunia, in front of anyone and so Lily did the first thing that came to mind and stormed off into the Hogwarts Express, rushing to the empty compartment that they'd managed to find earlier and placed her trunk in.

The compartment was no longer empty but Lily paid no mind to the two boys conversing next to each other. She took the seat by the window, rubbing at her eyes to keep the tears at bay.

She wasn't a freak, Petunia was just jealous and mean and if Mother had heard her, she'd have forced her to apologise for it.

But she _had_ snuck into her room and that thought caused an awful rush of guilt to flood through her.

Lily put her head against the window pane, thankful for the coolness it emitted and thankful even more when the train finally got going, moving past the grey streets of London to the rolling green of the country side.

The passage of time didn't ease Lily's guilt or sadness and it certainly didn't help when the compartment door opened and Severus sat down opposite her.

"I don't want to talk to you," she said in a constricted voice.

"Why not?" he asked confused

"Tuney h – hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

She threw him a look of deep dislike.

"So she's my sister!"

"She's only a —" He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him.

"But we're going!" he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

Lily only sighed at his enthusiasm, dejectedly leaning back in her seat.

No longer lost in her own thoughts, the conversation the boys in her compartment were having was unavoidable to listen to.

"As long as it's not Hufflepuff" said the boy sat next to her, he had rather long curly hair, that reached his shoulders.

"I'm going to be in Gryffindor" said the other boy

Severus made a small, disparaging noise, catching the attention of the two boys.

"Got a problem with that?" demanded the second boy,

"No," said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy—"

"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected the first boy, causing the other to roar with laughter.

Severus face grew hot with anger and Lily felt a stab of empathy for her dear friend. She rose up and held out her hand.

"Let's go" She demanded

Severus' anger transformed to delight and he eagerly grabbed her offered hand.

"Their must be less childish compartments, Severus" she said, throwing the two boys a withering glare as she began to walk out.

"Severus!" crowed the second boy, trembling with laughter.

"Bye, Bye Snivellus" laughed the first as he held his foot out so that Severus would trip.

Lily angrily threw open the compartment door and slammed it shut, their laughter still audible through the closed door.

"What awful boys" she scowled.

Severus' furious face reflected the anger within her.

"Come on" she said "Let's find Hermione"

The mention of her other sister did little to elevate Severus' mood but he followed after her with no hesitation.

They walked down the Hogwarts Express, peering in to compartments as they went, it was towards the end of the train that she finally spotted Hermione's wild brown curls in a compartment window.

With a smile, Lily pushed open the door "their you — oh, hello" Lily stopped short, surprised at the other occupant in the compartment.

"Nice to see you again, Lisa" the boy smirked, his whole face alight with humour.

"It's Lily" she automatically corrected, her eyes moving to her younger sister, "can we share your compartment?"

"Of course" Hermione smiled "where's all your stuff?" she curiously asked as Lily and Severus sat down besides her.

"We had to abandon it all" Lily huffed

"Why?" the boy asked, what was his name again? Billy? Or perhaps Benny? It certainly started with a B.

"I'd rather not talk about it" Lily sighed.

Thankfully Hermione chose to respect her wishes and changed topics. "Benjy was just telling me about the Black Lake" she smiled "he actually fell into it last year"

"I didn't fall, I was pushed!" Benjy interrupted a large grin on his face "never trust a Slytherin" he told Lily and Severus, who tensed up at those words. "Roy Burke shoved me in to it as we crossed on the boats, I had to be Sorted dripping wet" he laughed

"Didn't anyone take pity and just magically dry you?" Hermione asked

"Yes, _after_ I was Sorted" Benjy grinned

"That must have been horrid" Hermione smiled

"It was" he agreed "but now I have a very funny Sorting story to tell" he shrugged

Lily watched the back and forth bemused, Hermione wasn't the talkative type but she'd warmed very quickly to this Benjy, almost instantly in fact. It made her wonder, what made Benjy so different to everyone else that Hermione had ever met?

The train ride passed by without any further trouble, Benjy was kind enough to retrieve their trunks so that Lily could get changed into her uniform and before she knew it, they'd arrived at Hogsmeade train station.

"Just don't get pushed in" Benjy joked as he made his way up towards the carriages.

Hermione shook her head at him as they followed the crowd of first years down towards the lake.

Severus' mood finally seemed to brighten when they turned a corner and got their first look at Hogwarts.

"Wow" Lily breathed out, enamoured with the tall towers and battlements and pillars, all those bright lights shining at once gave it a comforting glow.

She turned towards Hermione and was surprised at what she saw.

Hermione looked ecstatic, happier then she had ever seen her but the look was gone so fast that she wondered if it had truly been there.

"Firs' Years, This way!" called out a voice and Lily was dumbstruck at the sight of who it belonged to, he was huge, by far the tallest man she'd ever seen. "On the boats now, come on, Firs' years, follow me!"

Lily followed the other first years down towards the boats.

"Four to a boat!" the man called out "no more than four!"

"That one" Lily said loud enough for Hermione and Severus to hear her, she quickened her pace so that no one else could grab the empty boat.

She triumphantly grabbed it and clambered on, turning to help Hermione, who climbed up with ease and Severus who refused her help and climbed up on his own.

Boats were quickly filling up, their seemed to be just the right amount and by the end the large man had to tell two girls to split up and grab a boat.

With great reluctance a blond haired girl climbed up their boat, her friend joining another and with a command from the large man the boats started moving on their own.

"Woah" Lily gasped, "Look at that!" she beamed, mesmerised by the boat moving along on it's own, she was glad to see that Severus looked just as impressed as she was.

The boats made their way across the lake and beneath the castle. When they came to a stop, they all climbed out and followed the giant of a man up numerous stairs until they all stood in an Entrance Hall in front of large oak doors.

"Professor McGonagall will be out here shortly" said the man, disappearing behind the doors and leaving them on their own.

Lily really hadn't given her Sorting much thought but now it was the only thing that she could think about.

She didn't know what House she wanted, Hermione would probably go to Ravenclaw, she was the cleverest person she knew but Lily didn't want to be separated from her sister, perhaps they could go there together? How clever did one have to be for Ravenclaw House?

Professor McGonagall stepped through the oak doors and began explaining the process of the Sorting.

"A hat?" a voice called out incredulous "that's it?"

Everyone turned to face the source of the voice and Lily scowled when she recognised the boy from the train, the one with the messy black hair and glasses, of course _he_ would make a scene.

She was pleased to see that a stern look from McGonagall shut him right up.

"Follow me" she said tightly and the gathered first years followed after her.

Lily found herself breathless as she took in the Great Hall, it was packed with students sitting at four separate tables, each proudly displaying the banner of their House. It was brightly lit up with candles and above their heads instead of a ceiling was the shimmering night sky.

"It's beautiful" she whispered to Hermione, who seemed just as mesmerised as she was at the sight.

The Hall grew quiet as an old Hat began to sing, she listened to the words describing the attributes of each House and she was only more convinced that Hermione was heading to Ravenclaw or perhaps Slytherin, two Houses Lily thought she was unlikely to get.

Knowing her luck, she'd end up with that Benjy boy in Hufflepuff being forever called Lisa.

The Hall burst into applause as the Hat finished up and the very first student was called.

"Avery, Jonathan"

A boy with short cropped black hair and hunched shoulders made his way up to the stool. The Hat covered his entire face when it was placed on it but it only lasted for a few seconds, when the Hat called out "Slytherin!"

The boy happily made his way over to the table at the far end.

"Black, Sirius" was next and unlike the previous boy, this one was confident. When he sat down Lily recognised him as the first boy from the train.

It took the Hat slightly longer this time before it called out "Gryffindor!" The House on the other side of the Hall burst into applause as the boy, who seemed pleasantly surprised made his way over.

"Of course he would go there" Severus whispered under his breath "all the trouble makers end up in Gryffindor"

On the Sorting went

Clarissa Carver went to Hufflepuff

Levi Dumont went to Ravenclaw

And then it was "Evans, Hermione!" being called up.

Lily gave Hermione's hand a gentle squeeze for support before she began to make her way over.

She didn't look nervous or scared, in fact she seemed rather comfortable.

Hermione shot her a smile before the Hat was placed over her obscuring her eyes and the top of her nose.

Lily wasn't sure what to hope for, Ravenclaw or Slytherin? Which one could she also get into?

"Gryffindor!" The Hat called out putting a stop to Lily's wild thoughts.

"What?" she breathed out, pleasantly surprised, Severus triumphant look reminded her of his words, it was the House of troublemakers, but Hermione wasn't a troublemaker.

"Evans, Lily"

Severus gave her a thumbs up as she made her way over, when she sat down her eyes drifted towards the Gryffindor table where Hermione sat besides that boy from the train.

A surge of protection welled up in her, Hermione was a little strange and people bothered her because of it but Lily had always been there for her and that wouldn't change now.

' _Gryffindor, Gryffindor'_ she mentally pleaded _'Please Gryffindor'_

" _Alright, alright, I heard you the first time"_ barked a voice inside her head, before the Hat called out "Gryffindor!"

It was with pure delight that Lily made her way over to Gryffindor table who were giving her a jubilant round of applause.

She took the empty seat by Hermione, who gave her a teasing smirk.

Filled with delight, Lily placed her arm around Hermione's shoulder and drew her in close, Hermione reciprocated the hug, wrapping her arms around Lily's waist.

All the nerves and excitement from the day seemed to have worn her out because by the end of the Sorting, Lily was tiredly rubbing at her eyes.

When it was all said and done Gryffindor House had six girls and four boys.

She'd felt a pang of disappointment when Severus joined Slytherin House but took comfort in having Hermione with her.

"Just because you're in different Houses doesn't mean that you can't still be friends" Hermione assured her as she put a bit of pasta on her plate

"I though you didn't like Severus" Lily said taken aback.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise "why do you always assume that I don't like people?" she asked with genuine curiosity

Lily awkwardly stared at her, your attitude, seemed a rather rude thing to say, so she opted for a shrug and a smile.

Hermione shook her head at her "I like Severus" she said casually "he's decent" she shrugged focusing on her plate once more.

A grin spread across Lily's face her eyes alight as she gently bumped shoulders with her sister.

She grabbed her own plate and began piling it up with food, surrounded by the chatter of her new classmates, with her sister by her side and the glow of the Hogwarts candle light, Lily felt that this was truly the start of something wonderful.

She happily joined in with the conversation, introducing herself to the other girls, completely unaware of the dark black eyes across the hall that kept darting back to her every few minutes.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **Next Update: Thursday**

 **So instead of her own wand, Hermione ends up with Harry's wand, the twin to Voldemort's. What does that mean for the Prophecy?**

 **The chapter's flow rather fast at the beginning but things will settle down in Chapter 4, which is when we get Hermione's point of view and we'll stick with her for the majority of the story.**

 **This is adventure and romance, so plenty of war stuff but also plenty of Sirius and the Marauders.**

 **See you next week. It's my birthday on the 31st, along with Harry and JK, so an early Happy Birthday all round.**


	3. Chapter 3

**}{—}{—}{**

October 1971

Remus Lupin had never dared give Hogwarts much thought, as a small child it had been an impossible dream that had now somehow become a reality.

Not getting the opportunity to be around other people as a child, he hadn't known what to expect but after four weeks and experiencing his first full moon, he was finally starting to settle in.

"Rook to E7" Peter retaliated, his rook demolishing Remus' pawn.

They were sat on Remus' bed on an early Tuesday evening, James was on his own bed watching the Arrows take on the Cannons via his omnioculars and Sirius was sat at his desk finishing up tomorrow's Transfiguration essay.

Over the past month, Remus had grown fond of his dorm mates. Peter was a little quiet but he was up for anything, like a game of Wizards Chess when he still had homework to do or binging on chocolates late into the night.

Sirius was nice to him, he rolled his eyes a lot and Remus had trouble picking up on his sarcasm at first but now he was fluent in Sirius speak.

James was his favourite, he was straight forward and blunt, what you saw was what you got. He was quick with his wand but even quicker when it came to getting into trouble, he'd received two detentions already.

"Queen to E1" Remus grinned "checkmate" he unnecessarily added.

Peter groaned and frustratedly ran his hand through his blond hair

"Instead of losing to Remus why don't you come and finish off your essay" Sirius lectured "it's due tomorrow" he said not bothering to look at them when he spoke

"I suppo-aaah" Peter wailed, flailing off the bed and hitting the ground with a hard thud.

Remus jumped up in surprise, the chessboard scattering on to the floor, Sirius and James howled in laughter as Peter twisted and turned screaming "get it off me! Get it off me!"

Remus leaned down and gently grabbed the toad off of Peter, cradling it in his arms as he straightened up.

Peter scrambled up desperately brushing away at his clothes.

"It's just a toad" Sirius managed to choke out through the laughter.

Peter's face reddened with humiliation and Remus did his best to keep a straight face, the other two in the room had no such luck.

"I was just surprised" Peter weakly defended, his words drowned out by the laughter in the room.

"Ignore them" Remus advised earning a small thankful smile from Peter.

"It's Gus" Remus said aloud. "Hermione's toad"

"That's the third time this month" Sirius spoke up.

"I'll go and see if she's in the Common Room" Remus said

"Better you than me" Sirius shook his head "that is one weird Witch" he added going back to his essay.

Remus chose to ignore the remark, walking out of the room and down the cold stairs.

Hermione Evans wasn't weird, at least not from his point of view. She was quiet and clever, really, really clever.

Remus only ever saw her in class or in the library, she didn't have any friends, except that Hufflepuff boy and her sister but friends didn't seem to be that high on Hermione's list, she didn't really talk to anyone, she didn't join in any discussions, the most he'd ever heard her talk was when answering a question in class.

Remus scanned the Common Room, the seventh and sixth years had commandeered the comfiest seats by the fire and the third years had taken over the tables by the window.

Hermione wasn't in the Common Room but he spotted a few of her dorm mates sharing a table in the corner. Remus hesitated, his body subconsciously leaning back towards the stairs.

The girls of Gryffindor House were a varied bunch and he was thankful that all six weren't there but out of the three girls sat at the table, two of them, he rather disliked.

Grabbing a hold of his courage, Remus persevered and forced himself forward.

Arlo Stuart was the first to notice his presence. She was pretty, perhaps the prettiest out of all the girls, with honey coloured skin, wavy hair and staggering hazel green eyes. Apart from Lily, she was the only other girl that sat with Hermione in classes, she was nice and sweet and great at Herbology.

"Hi Remus" she smiled

"Hi" he awkwardly returned, catching the attention of the other two girls.

Marlene McKinnon with her pale blond hair and calculating eyes and Diana Zhou with her high cheekbones and constant smirk.

"Gus" he said, holding out the toad, "was in our dorm room, I was hoping to find Hermione down here"

"As you can see she isn't here" Marlene rolled her eyes at him, going back to work on whatever essay she'd been completing.

"I know" Remus said "I was hoping….that….uhm…as you're-"

"We're studying" Diana said in a clipped tone, her eyes darkly analysing every inch of him.

"I'll take Gus" Arlo spoke up.

A sigh of relief escaped Remus as the girl held her hands out.

"Thank you" he said, as he handed over Gus.

"It's not a problem, Hermione's up in the dorm, I'll go and give him to her"

Remus couldn't help the wide grin on his face as Arlo bid him goodbye and walked up the stairs leading to the girls dormitory.

"You can go now" Marlene told him, Diana chuckled besides her as the two went back to their work, pretending like he didn't exist.

As Remus walked away, his opinion of the two remained unchanged.

He really didn't like them.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **November 1971**

"Think of the cauldron cakes!" James whined

"And the treacle fudge" Sirius smirked

"And the butterscotch" Peter excitedly added

Remus heaved a sigh as he stared at them from his bed "we don't even know where the kitchen is" he repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time

"I have it on good authority that it's near the Hufflepuff Common Room" Sirius rebutted

"And where is the Hufflepuff Common Room?" Remus raised a brow

"We'll just have to figure that out on the way" James grinned

"It's almost midnight" Remus feebly argued "we'll get into trouble"

"The Prefects should be done with their rounds by now" James said "that only means a few Professors to watch out for"

"And Filch" Sirius frowned, he'd had a rather dull detention with the man just yesterday.

"And Filch" James agreed "but that's it, come on Remus" he pleaded

He should have said no, he should have let them go off without him but he'd never had friends before, friends who begged and pleaded for him to join in, he didn't want to disappoint Dumbledore, he wanted to prove that the man had been right to trust him, that he wouldn't be any trouble but his need to be good was beaten out by a far more desperate need to be normal.

"Fine" he conceded to great cheers from the boys. "I hope that you're much quieter sneaking around" he joked.

The four boys quietly made their way down to the empty Common Room and through the portrait door. The halls of Hogwarts were dark and silent, the only light coming from the candles positioned on the walls and the light shining in from the great big windows.

Remus found himself at the back, with James leading the small group down towards the Entrance Hall.

They came to a stop in front of the Great Hall, from his position, Remus could see past the Entrance Hall doors that lead down to the field, the sky was pitch black shrouding the outside in a dark cloak, making it difficult to see anything

"The Hufflepuffs always go this way after dinner" James quietly said, pointing down a corridor "come on" he eagerly said, his hazel eyes alight with delight.

Remus would never admit it but he felt a strange thrill at sneaking about. He began to follow the others when a 'meow' roared through the silent hallway

Sirius was the first to react, his shoulders going tense "that's Filch's cat!" he heatedly whispered, right on cue Filch's brown cat appeared out of nowhere

"Run!" Sirius called out

"Sirius no-" James began but it was too late, Sirius turned and thundered down the hallway

"Oy!" A voice barked and the three remaining boys spotted Filch down the other end of the hallway.

Not a word was exchanged but the three simultaneously moved, running after Sirius and away from Filch as fast at they could.

"Come back here!" Filch roared giving chase.

Remus' heart rattled in his chest as he ran past the Great Hall and up the stairs, James and Peter hot on his heels with Filch right behind, screaming so loud that a Professor was bound to come out and catch them.

Remus ran, not even thinking about where he was going, just following after Sirius who was only a few feat ahead but suddenly came to a thundering stop.

It was so sudden that Remus almost smacked into him but stopped himself just in time, spotting exactly why Sirius had stopped, right at the other end of the hallway was the tip of a wand lit up.

"We're trapped" Peter quietly cried, his red face quickly losing colour.

Remus' gut churned and his hands went numb. _'it's only a detention'_ he thought, but really it meant far more than that. Dumbledore would hear of this and they'd most likely write to his father. James had had three letter sent home already this term.

Remus felt sick at just the thought of their disappointment in him, when the portrait of the singing choir lurched open, revealing one Hermione Evans on the other side and what seemed to a be a dark tunnel behind her.

"Guys, over here" she whispered to the group of dumbstruck boys. Remus didn't need to be told twice, he ran past the portrait and came to a stop behind Hermione, the other boys following suit and she shut the portrait just in time, shrouding them all in darkness.

"Lumos" she quietly said, the tip of her wand lighting up, giving Remus a better look at the Witch.

Her hair was in it's normal state of curly disarray and her whiskey brown eyes looked as surprised to see them as they were to see her.

"Follow me" she quietly said, moving past Remus and Sirius to get to the front, ignoring the curious gazes aimed her way.

They quietly followed after the Witch, shuffling one after the other down the dark passage way. Remus wondered how Hermione knew where she was going in such darkness.

Although it must have only been few minutes, it felt much longer to Remus' poor heart when Hermione came to a stop and gently shoved at what seemed to be a concrete wall.

They all rapturously stared as the wall reacted and with a click moved fluidly aside to reveal an entry way just big enough for them to squeeze through.

James and Sirius shared a look that Remus didn't want to decipher as he followed the witch out of the passageway.

He found himself on the 5th floor hallway, rather close to Gryffindor Common room.

"Thank you" James earnestly said "you could have let Filch catch us but you didn't"

Hermione gave him a small smile, staring a little too long at James' face before she shook off the look on her face.

"No problem" she smiled and it was an odd sight for Remus. Hermione Evans wasn't much of a smiler.

"How'd you find this tunnel?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes focused on Hermione.

"It's a secret passage" she told them "they're all over the castle" she shrugged, "I'm surprised you didn't know about it already" she said, turning away and walking towards Gryffindor Common Room.

James and Sirius once again shared a look and Remus felt a twinge in his stomach because this time he did recognise it. It was the look they had when faced with a challenge.

"Come on" Peter said, quickly following after Hermione.

Remus dutifully followed although it took a little longer before he heard James and Sirius' footsteps

"Sherbert Lemons" Hermione told the portrait of the fat lady, it took a moment for the woman to shake out of her slumber and open the passage door, giving Sirius and James enough time to catch up.

When she finally did, Hermione walked through and then paused turning to face them "Filch tends to stick to the first two floors" she told them, "if you're going to sneak out, try and stay away from them" with those parting words, she walked towards the girls dormitory and up the stairs.

It was only when they were safe in their own dorms that the four boys dared to speak.

"How did she find that passageway?" Sirius asked. He was sat atop his desk, his feet on the chair and his hands on his knees.

"I don't care" Remus shook his head as he began to get dressed for bed "I'm just glad that she saved us"

"From detention" Sirius snorted "you're acting like she saved us from a troll"

"Detention is worse than a troll" Remus feebly argued back, getting in to bed.

"And Filch's routine?" Sirius continued "Am I the only one that cares?" he asked, baffled at their reactions.

"She probably sneaks out all the time" Peter said "that's the only way she'd know"

"But why?" Sirius asked exasperated.

Remus pulled his curtains shut, wishing that he knew how to do a silencing spell so that he could block out the irritating conversation.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The next morning at breakfast, Remus was trying to do his best to forget about what happened last night, Sirius and James however were making that extremely difficult.

"Give it a rest" Peter moaned, he had his Charms textbook laid out on the table, trying to catch up on the reading he hadn't yet done.

Remus sent him a thankful look, he was getting sick of talking about it all.

"Why is she sitting with the Hufflepuffs?" James asked, turning his body around so that he could get a better look at Hermione.

Remus kicked him under the table.

"Ow!" he cried out, jumping in his seat.

"Don't be so bloody obvious" Remus frowned, frustratedly rubbing at his face.

The bell chiming was the best sound he'd heard all morning.

"Let's go" he huffed in relief.

"No one should be that happy about double Potions with the Slytherins" Sirius shook his head.

Remus ignored his comment in favour of helping Peter put his books away.

The four boys made their way down to dungeons where the Potions classroom was located, Remus followed the other three into the room and took his usual seat besides Peter, with James and Sirius taking the table in front of them.

Slughorn was in a rather jovial mood that morning, it helped that Snape and the Evans twins answered whatever questions he threw their way.

Unluckily for Remus it was a practical lesson and he'd learnt early on to never let Peter anywhere near a cauldron, which meant that he found himself doing the bulk of the work.

"Don't touch anything" he warned Peter, "I'm going to get some more Fluxweed from the cupboard" he said.

The class was in full swing, everyone far too preoccupied with their potions to pay any attention to anyone else.

Remus pushed open the door to the potions cupboard, Slughorn only unlocked it when they were doing practical work.

His eyes scanned the shelves in search of the Fluxweed he needed when the door opened behind him, he turned, surprised to see Hermione enter the small space.

"Hi Remus" she said

"Hi" he awkwardly replied as her eyes went from him to the shelves.

Remus was unsure of what to do but Hermione paid him no mind as she grabbed various ingredients and put them in her bag.

Remus' eyes narrowed as he realised exactly what Hermione was taking.

Why in Merlin's beard did she need Bat wings and Aconite fluid? And why was she stealing from Slughorn just to get it?

She caught him watching and he quickly averted his eyes, remarkably, he spotted the Fluxweed he'd needed as panic consumed him.

Would Slughorn notice?

Would he think that Remus was an accomplice?

Would he be kicked out of Hogwarts?

"See you later Remus" Hermione said as she walked out of the closet.

"Yeah" he breathlessly managed to say.

When she was gone, Remus sagged against the shelves, his heart racing. Was she not worried that he would turn her in?

Should he turn her in?

The thought barely crossed his mind when Remus crushed it. Their was no need to say anything and hopefully Sughorn just wouldn't notice.

With that hope, Remus grabbed the Fluxweed and exited the closet.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Although Sirius and James' obsession with Hermione quickly died down, Remus found himself paying far more attention to her than he'd ever admit.

As the weeks passed by at Hogwarts, the first years soon fell into their roles, their were only a handful of students that truly stood out. They fell into two positions;

The popular kids; James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Levi Dumont, Marlene McKinnon and Tony Rosier.

The clever kids; Hermione Evans, Sebastian Wilder and Bertram Aubrey.

Remus considered himself to be rather intelligent, but not like those three. Bertram Aubrey was the standard Ravenclaw, just a heck of a lot better. Sebastian Wilder had a gift for looking at things differently and thinking outside the box and Hermione Evans was just terrifyingly intelligent, their wasn't a question she couldn't answer, a potion she couldn't make in record time, a spell or a charm that she couldn't get right almost immediately.

So it really didn't come as much of a surprise when a few of the Ravenclaws took offence, it didn't matter how clever Bertram was, he was no match for Hermione.

They started off small with petty remarks and jibes but when that failed to have any affect, they grew bold, Remus had heard rumours all week that the Ravenclaws were going to do something but they were cleverer than they looked and a few in their ranks were wary about facing the smartest witch in their year head on, but on a quiet November afternoon - it finally happened.

Remus had just survived another class with Proffesor Binns, who put almost the entire class to sleep and the gathered first years were running for the door as soon as the bell rang.

"Does he realise how much he goes on" Sirius complained as they made their way out into the hallway.

"The man doesn't even realise that he's a ghost" James grinned "I doubt very much that realises the crap that comes out of his mouth"

Remus smiled at the jibe and came to an abrupt stop, so that he didn't walk right in to a Ravenclaw girl.

A circle had formed right outside of their History of Magic class and in the centre were a handful of student's wearing the blue and bronze of Ravenclaw House and the Evans twins.

"Oh no" Peter frowned.

"Five against two" James spat "bloody cowards" he said and began to push his way to the front, the other boys right behind him.

When they made it to the front, they stopped right at the edge of the circle, Remus wasn't sure what to do, he liked the Evans girls and he wouldn't let the Ravenclaws gang up on them but he wasn't keen to get himself hurt either.

Hermione and Lily stood side by side, wands in their hands although not pointed at the Ravenclaws.

The Ravenclaws were in a similar position, both sides waiting for someone to go first.

They didn't have to wait long, one of the Ravenclaw boys that Remus recognised as Monty Bradshaw threw a bat bogey hex and as quick as a flash, Hermione had a shield up without uttering a word.

That seemed to be what she was waiting for because in the next second, she retaliated.

"Bruchum Aculeatum" she said with a flick of her wand, a dark green spell shot of the tip and hit Monty square in the face, the force of the spell picking him up off his feet and slamming him into the ground.

Monty's face swelled up, blisters and welts appearing all over it and Remus recognised it as the stinging hex.

Before anyone could react, Hermione was at it again, the Ravenclaws tried to fight back but she was much quicker and far more brutal than Remus could have ever predicted.

A knee reversal hex hit one of the taller boys, a jelly legs curse another, one of the girls tried to run but Hermione hit her with a Levicorpus, the jinx hoisted the girl into the air by her ankles, exposing her underwear to the crowd.

Hermione's wand was already aimed at the last two when Professor McGonagall's stern voice filled the air.

"What in Merlin's beard is this!"

The crowd parted like the sea, revealing Professor McGonagall's furious expression.

Hermione lowered her wand but it was too late.

McGonagall's face grew crosser the more she saw, her eyes darkly flashing when they landed on the girl hoisted in the air who was now furiously sobbing.

"Ms Evans" McGonagall said in a clipped tone

"They started it!" Lily jumped in first, her face was as white as a sheet, clearly as shaken as Remus was at Hermione's actions

"The other Ms Evans" McGonagall scathingly said, in no mood for back talk.

"Yes Professor?" Hermione spoke up

"With me" McGonagall demanded "now" she turned away from the crowd, walking towards the battered Ravenclaws.

With a flick of her wand, the girl was gently lowered "get yourselves to the hospital wing" she ordered, walking on without another glance.

Hermione diligently followed after her.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The thrashing of the Ravenclaws earned Hermione a bit of a reputation amongst the first years, most people were impressed but an even larger majority were frightened.

Hermione wasn't like her sister, you didn't feel comfortable in her presence and she likewise seemed content with her own for company.

Remus imagined it must have been lonely, the only thing he'd ever wanted was a friend.

"I still don't get it" Peter frowned

Remus held in a sigh, he'd explained the transfiguration formula twice already but Peter just wasn't picking it up.

They were sat in the library, November had given away to December and most people were tucked away in their own Common Rooms.

The library was filled with upper years studying for OWLS or NEWTS, the only other first year there, seemed to be Hermione Evans.

"It's really not that hard" Remus tried again, he picked up his quill and wrote down the formula, perhaps a visual aid would help it sink it.

Frustratingly Peter just stared blankly back at him.

Remus slumped in his seat and sighed.

He was about to voice his defeat when a bushy haired girl popped out from behind them, a curious expression on her face.

"Perhaps I can help?" Hermione asked, she had a large old tome in her hand and her tie was loose around her neck

Remus and Peter shared an apprehensive look, neither had a said a word to Hermione since the Ravenclaw incident and now neither of them knew what to say.

Without waiting for an answer, Hermione plopped her book down on their desk and grabbed the empty chair.

"The formula can be a little tricky" she said as she grabbed Peter's parchment and quill "you just need to break it down into four variables" she explained, "first is bodyweight, then viciousness, wand power and concentration" she said illustrating it on the parchment. Hermione continued on, explaining it in such a way that Remus could not.

Remus watched taken aback as Hermione managed to knock some sense into Peter.

"I get it" Peter grinned and then threw Remus an accusing look "why couldn't you explain it like that?"

Remus ran a frustrated hand through his hair, not bothering to answer.

"Thanks Hermione" Peter beamed "I may actually pass Transfiguration this year with a decent grade" he said chuffed

"No problem" Hermione shrugged "if you need help with anything else, you can always just ask" she offered

"Really?" Peter's eyes lit up, "I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time"

"It's fine" Hermione smiled "I use to have a friend that needed a lot of help with school stuff, so it'll be a welcome reminder" she shrugged but her bright eyes suddenly dimmed, a cloud of sadness suddenly taking hold.

"I better go" She said, getting up from her seat and grabbing her book.

"Thanks again, Hermione" Peter smiled as she walked away from the two.

"That's really nice of her" Peter said when she was too far to hear.

"Yeah" Remus agreed

"I wonder who the friend was?" Peter suddenly asked

"Probably a muggle" Remus concluded, Hermione was a muggle born, the only people she interacted with were Benjy Fenwick and her sister and they didn't seem the sort that would need constant help with homework.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The weeks flew by and Remus found himself experiencing his very first Christmas with actual friends. He'd gotten very lucky this year as the full moon had been just a week before the break, which meant his return home was as joyful as it could be.

His parents, Lyall and Hope Lupin wanted to hear about every detail of his life at Hogwarts, from his new friends to his sleeping arrangement. Remus always wrote home and although he was repeating a lot of stuff they already knew, neither seemed any less excited.

What really made his Christmas though had been the letter he'd received a few days after coming home

 _Dear Remus,_

 _I hope you're enjoying your break and that your Mum is feeling better. I wanted to invite you to spend the night at my house for New Years Eve, Sirius is already here and Peter has said yes as well, so it would be great if you could join us._

 _Your Friend._

 _James._

Remus had been over the moon when his parents had said yes and he'd repacked his sleeping bag at least twice.

When he finally arrived at Potter Manor, Sirius and James had been running around pranking the House Elf and Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, James' parents were as lovely as he could have dared imagine.

Peter arrived sometime in the afternoon and the four spent the day playing Quidditch with Sirius moaning the entire time as he disliked the sport.

Although the Potter's had offered them all guest bedrooms, in the end they'd ended up on makeshift beds on James' floor.

They were all exhausted but everyone was determined to stay up until midnight, they were going to welcome in 1972 together.

They were all lying on their makeshift beds and conversation had slowly died down when Peter suddenly said "oh, guess who lives near Hermione's house"

"Hermione Evans?" Sirius asked

"Do you know another Hermione?" Peter rolled his eyes, earning his makeshift bed a kick from Sirius.

"Snape" Peter eagerly answered

"Snivellus!" James balked

"Yeah" Peter grinned

"How do you know?" Sirius asked

"I went in to London with Hermione and Benjy" Peter explained, suddenly rising up, he looked through his rucksack for a moment before fishing out what looked like pictures, he handed them to James who passed them around.

"We were on the Knight Bus and Hermione got on just as Snape and her sister walked out of her house" Peter explained.

The pictures finally reached Remus, their were two of them, the first was a close up of the three smiling and waving at the camera and the second had Fenwick giving Hermione a piggy back the two in rapturous laugher as they stared at the camera.

"Why in Merlin's beard did you go anywhere with those two?" James asked as Remus passed the pictures on to Sirius.

"I wanted to thank Hermione for all the help she's given me but her family were going away and the only day she was free, she already had plans with Fenwick" Peter shrugged

"So you tagged along on their date" James laughed

"It wasn't a date" Peter scowled "they're like brother and sister" he adamantly said, taking the pictures off of Sirius.

"Can we talk about something else?" Sirius suddenly asked, a frown on his face.

"Whatever" Peter shrugged, putting away his pictures.

In the end, not a single one of them made it to midnight, falling asleep around eleven, but they weren't too disheartened.

"We'll do it again next year" James promised

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **Next update: Thursday, it'll be Hermione's POV with a bit of a time jump and we'll stick with her for most of the story.**

 **I'm also on Tumblr & we heart it, check out my bio for the links and I'm thinking of posting sneak peaks on tumblr, not 100% sure just yet though. **

**See you next week - El.**

.


	4. Chapter 4

**Overwhelmed by the love the last chapter received, which just makes me more nervous about posting this one.**

 **Take note of the timeskip, we're at the start of 5th year now and we finally get Hermione's POV.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **October 1975**

" _There's a reason why people shouldn't mess around with time and space"_

Luna's last words always rung in her ears at times like this.

She remembered the detail, the effort, the sacrifice, the sheer determination needed to bend time and space to her will.

She'd once been Hermione Granger, the last survivor of the Order of the Phoenix.

She was now Hermione Evans, humanity's last hope.

She knew what her life entailed, war was on the horizon and this time around she was the chosen one, Harry's wand in her possession had been the first clue, Albus Dumbledore's keen interest in her had only confirmed it.

But as Luna had foretold, plans never went perfectly.

She'd been very fortunate, her life as Hermione Evans had been rather idyllic so far, but darkness was coming, people were beginning to go missing and whispers of a Dark Lord rising had firmly taken ahold at Hogwarts.

She knew what she had to do, had dedicated her life to it but the waiting was driving her mad.

She wanted to be out there, in the real world, stopping Voldemort before he properly got started but she wasn't stupid, she was no match for Voldemort, not yet, and he already had a number of Hocruxes scattered around that would need to be destroyed.

Whether she liked it or not, this would be a slow and painful war, the thought of sitting around as people got hurt caused her gut to painfully twist.

She'd lost everyone the first time around; Harry and Ron to the ends of Voldemort's wand and Luna to the new regime and now she was in danger of it all happening again, with the people she loved in this life.

In the original timeline;

Benjy had been blown to pieces.

Lily was murdered.

And Peter was a traitor.

The three people that meant the world to her were all destined to become victims of war unless she could change it.

"Hermione?"

She startled in her seat, surprised to see Sirius Black staring down at her.

"Are you alright?" He frowned.

"Excuse me?" She questioned, taken aback at his presence.

It wasn't like they were friends, she didn't outright hate him like Lily did, she could never hate him.

Sirius Black would always be Harry's Godfather, the man that had cheered her up during her stay at Grimmauld Place, the Pureblood hellbent on equality and who had lost his life fighting for people like her and although she adored that version of him, the version standing in front of her left a lot to be desired.

"I called your name a few times" He frowned.

"Oh" She breathed, unsure of what else to say.

Although Peter was one of her closet friends and she got on well with Remus, she really didn't interact much with Sirius, ironically enough she shared the most classes with him.

"Gus was in our dorm again" He informed her, holding up her toad for her to see.

Hermione's face lit up at the sight of her pet "I've been looking everywhere for him" she grinned in relief, taking the small animal from Sirius.

"Are you okay?" she asked Augustus, worriedly looking over every inch of him.

"I don't think toads have developed a sufficient level of understanding just yet" Sirius said with a look that showed that he though that she was mental.

"Oh, Augustus understands me perfectly" She adamantly replied

"Right" Sirius said, a grin tugging at his lips, "I'll catch you later Evans"

"Bye Black" She replied and with a shake of his head Sirius walked away.

She wasn't alone for long before Arlo nabbed the empty seat at her table.

"You're lucky Marlene wasn't here" Arlo sighed

"Hello to you as well" Hermione smiled, placing Gus atop a pile of textbooks.

Arlo Stuart was her favourite out of her dorm mates, except for Lily of course. She was nice, very nice with an interest in all things weird and wonderful. Marlene McKinnon and Diana Zhou were her other dorm mates, they were okay but Hermione couldn't remember the last time she'd said more than two words to either of them.

"Sorry" Arlo sheepishly said "I just can't handle any more of her Sirius talk and seeing you with him would have set her off again, you know what she's like"

"I don't understand her obsession with him" Hermione shook her head.

"He's _Sirius Black_ " Arlo said, as if his name was answer enough.

"I know who he is" Hermione sighed.

"Honestly Hermione you need to stick your head out of a book once in a while" She said with a shake of her head, "he's drop dead gorgeous, he's great at magic, he's really cool-"

"He's a bully" Hermione shrugged cutting her off "Troy Baines had to go to the Hospital wing after their last prank"

"I don't think they meant for it to go that far" Arlo frowned "and they were aiming for the Slytherins" she defended

"That doesn't make it any better" Hermione insisted

"You're right" Arlo agreed "but it's not like you'll ever have to worry about it, they never prank you"

"Because of Lily" Hermione shrugged. "She'd never give James Potter the time of day if he pranked her favourite sister"

"Lily will never give him the time of day, ever" Arlo smiled, "what did he want anyway?" She curiously asked

"He was bringing back Gus" Hermione told her, "he ended up in their dorm room again"

Arlo groaned "don't tell Marlene that, he's actively dodging her now, she'll force you to tell her everything he said and then dissect each and every word for hours"

"You'd think two rejections would be enough for a girl" Hermione grinned

"Sirius doesn't date" Arlo shook her head "and Marlene is determined to be the girl to wear him down"

"What do you mean he doesn't date, he's always with a girl" Hermione frowned

"He flirts" Arlo shrugged "but he's never actually taken anyone out"

"Really?" Hermione frowned, that didn't match with her knowledge of the younger Sirius, from the stories she's heard she was certain that he was a womaniser in his youth.

"Like I said Evans, take your head out of the books once in a while" Arlo grinned

 **}{—}{—}{**

Ancient Runes was by far her favourite class at Hogwarts, she'd never liked the topic much back in her original timeline but as an adult runes were what had changed her life, they'd been the key to jumping back years instead of hours

Professor Vector encouraged her thirst for knowledge, she'd even given her a pass for the restricted section.

Whilst the rest of the class were working on a two layered defensive rune, Hermione had already completed it and was working on a long time project of hers.

She fiddled with the muggle watch trying to layer the travel rune atop the breach rune, the problem was that the travel rune was a positive one whilst the breach rune was negative, they could be layered side by side but not on top of each other.

Back in her old world, it had taken her a year to crack how to safely merge different runes without blowing herself up and then a further six months to get the runes to work at full power when merged.

The key to it all had been a potion, the Kempura potion.

In her old world, the black market was rife for ingredients but in this one, she had to rely on Slughorn's supply.

Back then she'd only ever focused on creating a time turner, this time she had other projects, numerous ones but currently her most important one was the watch.

One of the reasons Voldemort had been so successful in the first war was the sheer number of his army, the Death Eaters would raise a ward that restricted apparition and then attack, their enemies had no choice but to fight and like rats in a cage they were slaughtered.

The Order had lost some of their best fighters that way, the Prewett twins, Caradoc Dearborn and Dorcas Meadowes had all died holding off Death Eaters so others could escape but not this time around.

Hermione's watch was suppose to be a portkey that couldn't be held by any ward, anytime someone was cornered, one turn of the crown and they would be portkeyed away to safety but their was still so much to figure out before the watch was ready, at this point the watch could portkey a person but she had no idea how to anchor it to a specific destination and she'd yet to test it against any actual wards.

Luckily for her, she was surrounded by the strongest ward in existence at Hogwarts. If her creation could breach those wards it could breach anything.

A bell toll signified the end of Ancient Runes and with meticulous care Hermione placed her watch in a small box and then put it in her bag.

"Don't forget to read pages 91 and 92 of your textbook before tomorrow's class" Vector told them as the class scrambled to get out of there.

The class was mostly Ravenclaws and a handful of Slytherin's, Sebastian Wilder was the only Hufflepuff and Hermione and Sirius the only Gryffindors, she'd tried to convince Lily to take the class but like most people she'd opted for Divinations instead.

Hermione followed the crowd into the Great Hall, spotting Lily's red hair within seconds, halfway down the Gryffindor table talking to Arlo and a few of the older girls from their House.

Hermione walked down the table and grabbed the empty seat across from Lily & Arlo.

"Hey" Lily beamed "how was Ancient Runes?"

"Fine" Hermione shrugged "why do you look so happy?" She questioned with a raised brow

"I'm always happy" Lily smirked

"Hector Jones asked her out to Hogsmeade" Arlo answered

"What!" Hermione grinned "How? When? Where? Tell me everything!"

Hector Jones was a seventh year Gryffindor, funny, good looking and kind, half the girls at Hogwarts wanted to date him.

"This morning!" Lily beamed "when I went back for my books after breakfast, I bumped into him in the common room and he asked me" she said, her face alight with delight.

"What has all of you so giddy?" Asked a familiar voice. Benjy grabbed the empty seat by Hermione and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her in close.

The smile instantly wiped off of Lily's face, whilst Arlo blushed red.

Benjy Fenwick was a 6th Year Hufflepuff and Hermione's best friend.

"Lily has a date with Hector Jones" Hermione answered him.

"Jones" Benjy scowled

"What's wrong with Hector?" Lily demanded

Hermione wasn't sure why but Benjy and Lily just rubbed each other the wrong way.

"Nothing" Benjy shrugged "if you like boys that are as dumb as a box of slugs" he grinned

Lily scowled at him and Hermione interrupted before things could get too heated

"Was there something you needed Benjy?" She asked

Benjy smirked at her, his blue eyes sparkling, he clearly wanted to push Lily's buttons but one look from Hermione and he wisely chose not to.

"Yes, actually" he sighed "I need your help finishing off Professor's Beery's essay on moon beans" he pouted

"Herbology" Hermione frowned, it was one of her least favourite classes, she could never understand Neville's fascination with the topic.

"You're a 6th year" Lily chided "surely you can do your own homework" she said, unimpressed.

"NEWTs are torture" Benjy smirked "And Hermione's the cleverest Witch in this entire school" he grinned "there's a bag of sugar quills in it for you" he promised her.

"Make it two bags" Hermione grinned

"Deal" Benjy triumphantly said and rose up for their table, "I'll see you girls later" he said "try not to die of boredom on your date with the slug" Benjy grinned and ran off before Lily could curse at him.

"Why in Merlin's beard are you friends with that idiot" Lily huffed

"He annoys you because you react to it" Hermione shrugged "Benjy's amazing, Arlo agrees don't you?" She asked, the poor girl had been crushing on her best friend for years.

Arlo startled at the sudden attention, her eyes guiltily whipping from Benjy's form to the twins

Lily frowned at Arlo's reddening face, "I still don't understand why you like him" she said aghast

"How could she not like him?" Hermione questioned, "Benjy's gorgeous and funny and sweet-"

"Then why don't you date him?" Lily cut her off.

"Eww" Hermione scowled, grossed out at the thought "he's like a brother to me, it would be like dating Peter or you dating Severus" she shuddered "but he'd be perfect for Arlo" she grinned

"Who'd be perfect for Arlo?"

Hermione turned her head to see the rest of her dormmates, Marlene McKinnon and Diana Zhou walking up behind her, they grabbed the empty seats on either side of Hermione.

"Benjy" Hermione said

"A little out of her league isn't he?" Marlene asked.

Diana snickered and Arlo's shoulder's hunched over in embarrassment.

"Like you and Sirius?" Hermione quipped back without missing a beat.

Marlene glared at her but chose to stab at her food than to retaliate.

"I know it's a month away" Diana said, trying to change the subject "but does anyone want to go to the Quidditch game with me, we're up against Slytherin so it's bound to be interesting"

"I'll go" Lily shrugged

"I can't" Hermione frowned, her mind going to all the work she had left to do on the watch "I have to study" she explained

"You're always studying" Diana rolled her eyes "what about you two?" she asked Arlo & Marlene.

"I will" Arlo agreed.

"Maybe" Marlene said

"James is playing so Sirius will definitely be there" Diana said

"Alright, I'll go" Marlene instantly agreed.

"I still can't believe that they made Potter Captain" Lily frowned

"He's the best player on the team" Hermione shrugged.

"And the worst behaved" Lily replied

"Who cares about how he behaves" Diana said with a roll of her eyes, "all that matters is the score at the end" she smirked.

 **}{—}{—}{**

As October came to a close, Hermione found herself practically living at the library, the amount of homework the fifth years were given took up far too much time and any free time was spent on her projects.

She had less than three years before she went out into the world and only five years before Harry entered the world.

Every time she thought of it her stomach twisted up in knots, war wasn't easy, no matter how experienced or ready she thought she was, she knew that the likely hood of coming out of it emotionally intact was low.

With a sigh, she grabbed her three new textbooks and walked out of the library, if she kept at it then the watch would most likely be ready by the end of the year and then she could move on to her next project.

Hermione already knew what it was but actually creating it was going to be near impossible.

Where did one even begin with a Hocrux tracker?

She was so deep in her own thoughts, her feet moving on autopilot that when she turned the corner, she registered the body with plates of food floating next to him, far too late.

Hermione smacked straight into the boy, sending her books and all the food he was carrying scattering on to the floor. She fell forward, gravity taking the both of them down, her fall however was cushioned by the boy below her who hit the ground with a hard smack.

Hermione was dazed and confused for a moment, her head resting on the boys chest, it was only when he released a groan that she slowly regained her senses.

She planted her hands on either side of his head and pulled her head up, brown eyes instantly connected with stormy grey.

The silence was deafening as the two stared at each other.

Hermione's brain seemed to struggle to register that it was Sirius Black that she was draped all over.

"Oh" She breathed, suddenly aware of their position, she quickly sat up, her legs falling either side of his waist and her hands landing on his chest to keep her balance.

Her face turned red when she realised that straddling him was far worse than their original position and she scampered to her feet.

"Sorry" she breathed, her hands awkwardly running through her curly hair

Sirius smirked up at her, his usual flawless hair had chunks of what looked like carrot cake smeared over it and his uniform wasn't any better.

"Entirely my fault" he shook his head, climbing to his feet "trying to levitate four pieces of cake wasn't very clever of me" he grinned

"No, I was away with with the Nargles" Hermione replied.

"Nargles?" Sirius asked

"Muggle saying" she lied as she whipped out her wand. In a matter of seconds she had the both of them and the ground sparkling clean.

"You've got to teach me that spell" Sirius said impressed, his eyes roaming over his clean uniform

"It's an easy one" Hermione smiled

Sirius leaned down and grabbed her books, his eyes widening as he read over the covers.

Hermione bit her lip in apprehension, her research was very private, apart from Professor Vector and perhaps Headmaster Dumbledore, no one knew anything about it.

The three books weren't that incriminating but they were from the restricted section.

' _Wards, Wiccans and everything in between'_

 _'Druid Runes lost through the ages'_

 _'Hogsmeade and her protections'_

Sirius gave her a funny look, his frows burrowing "interesting reading choice" he commented.

"Just some light reading" She shrugged

"Light?" He quirked a brow, a smirk on his lips "Evans, Witch Weekly is light" he snorted

"Can I have them back?" She held out her hand

Instead of giving them back, Sirius held on to them tighter. "Well, since my dessert went all over the both of us, how about I make you a deal?" He asked

"A deal?" she frowned

"I'll give you your books back if you come back with me to the kitchen and help me carry up more desserts" he explained

Her frown grew, it was already cutting close to curfew and the kitchens were off limits to students

"Come on, you missed dinner, you can grab something to eat whilst we're there, this works out well for the both of us" Sirius pushed.

"How do you know that I missed dinner?" She asked, surprised that he'd noticed her absence.

"I'm an observant person" He smirked, a glint in his eyes.

A breath of frustration escaped through her lips, "fine" she conceded "but let's make it quick" she urged

"Ladies first" He smiled.

Hermione walked past him in the direction of the kitchen and Sirius fell into step beside her.

She was uncomfortably aware of how close he was, there was barely an inch separating their bodies and his scent filled the air, he smelt of smoke and cherries an odd combination but one that she found oddly pleasing.

They walked down in silence, the air growing awkward with every step they took.

She wasn't stupid, Sirius Black was very attractive, half the school fancied the pants off him and although Hermione wasn't as enamoured as the rest of the student body, she could very much appreciate his physique.

Her eyes raked over him, he seemed slightly on edge very much unlike the Sirius she was use to seeing around

"Have you seen McGonagall yet?" He suddenly said.

"McGongall?" She asked before it clicked "oh for the career advice, no" she shook her head "Mine isn't until Friday, what about you?"

"Mine was today" He said "I was just coming back from it before our collision"

"Collision?" She smiled "I barely touched you"

"You were all over me" Sirius smirked "don't blame you though, all the girls are"

"Modest aren't you" She rolled her eyes "So what did McGonagall say?" she asked

Sirius frowned, his good mood suddenly gone "she thinks that I'd make a good Auror" he sighed, a dark look in his eyes.

"You would" Hermione instantly agreed

Sirius' head snapped up, surprised at her words, she couldn't understand why, Sirius Black was one of the bravest men she'd ever met, the only man to ever break out of Azkaban, all because of the love he held for his Godson.

"You don't think that in times like these, a Black is the last person that should be signing up to be an Auror?" He questioned, head down and averting her gaze.

"I think in times like this, brave men and women are exactly what the Auror department needs" She truthfully answered

Sirius lifted his head, their eyes connecting.

"And who cares what your last name is?" She shrugged, "that as stupid as caring about someone's blood, do you care that I'm a muggle born?"

"No!" He replied, aghast at even the thought.

She smiled up at him, it always amazed her how someone raised amongst such bigotry could come to defend everything he'd been raised to hate.

"What?" He asked, picking up on the look on her face

"You" she truthfully answered as they made it to the kitchen's entrance

"What about me?" Sirius asked as he rubbed the banana in the portrait. It swung open, revealing an army of House-Elves and Hogwarts pristine kitchen

"Nothing" She grinned as she entered, choosing not to answer. Sirius already had an inflated ego, she didn't want to add to it.

 **}{—}{—}{**

As the week continued Professor McGonagall's career advice was starting to become the talk of the common room.

"She said that if I applied myself then perhaps I had a chance at securing a Ministry position" Peter frowned.

They were sat by the fire, Peter was sprawled across the couch, whilst Hermione and Remus were sat on the recliners either side of him.

"That's not so bad" Hermione said, unable to understand his sour disposition.

"James and Sirius are told they could be Aurors, Remus a healer and I get a lowly Ministry position" he squawked "how is that not bad?"

"A Healer" Hermione grinned at her other friend "Remus that's brilliant, you'd make a great Healer"

"Maybe" Remus shrugged, a dark air about him.

"Why aren't you more excited?" Hermione questioned.

"He thinks his furry little problem will be an issue" Peter answered for him.

"Oh" Hermione sighed, all the excitement leaving her.

"It doesn't matter" Remus lied, a dark look in his eye "It's years away, why worry about it now?" he shrugged

She wished that she could tell him it would all work out, but in the future she knew that Remus struggled to find work, living off the generosity of James until he'd died and then worked odd jobs until he'd become her Professor, but even that hadn't lasted long.

The portrait doors swung open, followed by raucous laughter and two very familiar boys.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Sirius howled

"I was sure he was going to piss himself right there" James burst out, both breaking into uncontrollable laughter.

Peter moved aside so that their was enough room on the couch and the two practically fell into the empty space available.

"What did you do this time?" Remus frowned.

"Just a little fun with Snivellus" James beamed

Hermione frowned, anger and annoyance settling in to her stomach "I'm not sure Severus found it fun" she chided

Sirius and James look at her in surprise.

"Who cares what Snivellus thinks" Sirius sneered "you should have heard what he was saying, grubby git deserved a lot worse than what we did"

Hermione scoffed and got to her feet.

"Hermione, don't go" Peter frowned

"Just because you choose to associate with bullies, doesn't mean that I have to" She snapped, storming away from the group and up the stairs to her dorm.

Frustrated she all but stormed into her room, Lily was lounging about on her bed, reading a copy of some magazine.

Marlene and Diana were working on their hair, commandeering the large mirror in the room and Arlo was working on an essay at her desk.

"What's got you so annoyed?" Lily asked, putting aside her magazine.

"Those boys" Hermione huffed

"The Marauders?" Marlene asked, her hair was in a strange combination of braids, which she seemed oddly proud of.

"Marauders?" Hermione questioned

"Potter and his friends, that's what they're calling themselves" Lily rolled her eyes, as unamused as one could be.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because they're idiots" Arlo piped up

"I think it's cute" Marlene defended

"Well, you would" Arlo rebutted "you think anything Sirius does is cute" She frowned.

"At least I go for it" Marlene scowled "Instead of panting over him like you do with Fenwick"

"Well, Benjy doesn't run and hide from me!" Arlo snapped

"Girls!" Lily yelled, catching eveyone's attention. "Listen to yourselves" she snapped "neither of those boys is worth this drama" she huffed, grabbing her magazine and snapping it open.

Hermione shook her head and grabbed one of the textbooks off her desk, she really couldn't judge, she'd become just as boy crazy over Ron. She certainly wouldn't be making that mistake this time around, with a war on the horizon, boys were the last thing on her mind.

 **}{—}{—}{**

By the time her career meeting rolled around, everyone else seemed to have had theirs, the majority of people were rather disappointed, the realities of the outside world hitting them.

Hermione had the opposite problem.

"I must say Ms Evans that grades like yours are not easy to come by and I must commend you for your hard work" McGonagall's voice was as stern as she was use to but their was a clear tone of pride underneath it.

"Thank you Professor" Hermione replied.

It was odd being in her office, although in her old life, she'd spent far too much time in it, Hermione had rarely entered it this time around.

"After discussing it with your other Professor's, I do believe that you are best suited for a position in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, working in the Wizengamot" She smiled

"Right" Hermione nodded and McGonagall's smile slightly dimmed

"Most student's would be a lot more excited" She said, "It's one of the most difficult departments to get into, I rarely recommend such a path"

"Oh" Hermione said "Thank you Professor" She quickly added

"Perhaps you have other plans instead of the Ministry?" McGonagall pushed

Surviving, that was her only plan.

The Ministry had almost fallen during the 1st war and it had been as safe for Muggle borns as a room full of snakes, it was the last place she'd be going once school was over.

"No" She lied. "I have no plans"

 **}{—}{—}{**

 _I know nothing about Ancient Runes, I'm making all that up as I go along, so don't expect long detailed explanations on the stuff Hermione creates._

 _Next update will be Thursday, we'll be sticking with Hermione's POV for the remainder of this story and I can promise you a lot more Sirius and Benjy in the next chapter. There's a small sneak peak of next chapter on my tumblr, check out my bio for the details._

 _See you next time - El._


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Important AN at the bottom of the chapter, please read.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **October 1975**

"What do you think?" Lily twirled around in her green dress.

"I think Hector Jones will have a hard time keeping his hands off of you" Hermione grinned "and that you'll be freezing, it's snowing!"

Lily grabbed a cream sweater off of her bed, "don't worry Mum, I'm way ahead of you"

"Where are you meeting him?" Hermione asked

"Down in the Common Room" Lily said excitedly but Hermione could easily pick up on her nerves

"He's just a boy" she chuckled

"He's Hector Jones!" Lily squealed

Hermione fondly shook her head at her twin. "Well just remember your Lily Evans and that he's the lucky one"

Lily beamed at her and spread her arms wide "come here" she demanded

"No" Hermione chuckled and then cringed in place as Lily wrapped her arms around her.

"Sisterly words, deserve a sisterly hug" Lily grinned as she released her.

Hermione rolled her eyes, use to Lily's lack of personal space.

"So?" She asked curious "how's Severus been? I haven't seen the two of you together much"

Lily's grin disappeared "he says he's fine" she frowned "but he had a really rough summer"

"His Dad?" Hermione enquired

"I'm sure of it" Lily grimaced "but he'll never admit it and now he spends all his free time with Mulciber and Avery" she scowled

Hermione frowned unsure of what to say, Severus Snape had proved everyone wrong in the end, his love for Lily being the ultimate driving force, he hadn't been a bad man just one that had made numerous wrong decisions and had lost his life trying to make up for them.

"He cares about you" Hermione said, of that she was certain, but Severus' path was a difficult one. One that she really wasn't sure how to change, by the time they met, Severus already had a low view of Muggles and he'd been dead set on Slytherin House.

A House that had only increased his dislike of her kind over the years, his love for Lily hadn't been enough in his old life and she doubted that she could change that.

"Why don't you invite him over for Christmas dinner? Remind him who his real friends are?"

"You don't like him" Lily said confused "why are you being so nice about him?"

"I've never said a bad word about Severus" Hermione shook her head. "He's like…" she struggled to think of an accurate description, "like, Petunia" she decided "I like Petunia, she's my sister but I don't enjoy spending time with her" she explained.

"Petunia" Lily grimaced "Did you read her letter, going on about Nicholas Haven from down the street"

"He's such a git" Hermione rolled her eyes, "and now we'll probably have to see him at Christmas"

"Don't say that" Lily frowned

"Come on" Hermione sighed, "let's go before we're late"

The common room was rather empty as most students opted to leave straight after breakfast but Hector was stood on his own by the windows and the Marauders were sat around by the fire, James Potter glaring daggers at him.

Hector Jones was just over six feet with a head of blonde hair and the cheekiest smile Hermione had ever seen.

His eyes lit up when he saw Lily and and he quickly made his way over to them, "you look beautiful" he grinned, "both of you" he quickly added

Hermione snorted, she was in black jeans and a matching sweater, average at best "thank you Hector" she smiled "I'll see you two later" she said, walking away from the duo and towards the portrait door.

She was halfway across the Common Room when she heard a thump and an "ow!" and then Peter calling out her name.

"Hermione!"

She turned around to see the Marauders as they were now known staring up at her, except James who was glowering at the smiling Lily and Hector.

"Yes, Peter?" She asked

"Um…Well..I…"

A kick to the leg from Sirius snapped him out of his stupor.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with us?" he blurted out.

Hermione raised a brow, perplexed at the sudden invitation, whilst Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing and Sirius rolled his eyes and muttered something that she was too far away to hear.

"No thanks" she replied "I'm already going with Benjy, maybe next time" she said and turned around, making a dash for the portrait door, their was no way she ever going anywhere with those boys.

Benjy was stood by the gates, oddly enough dressed in matching black.

"I didn't realise we were colour co-ordinating" she joked

"The best minds think alike" he grinned, holding out his hand for her to hold, with a roll of her eyes, she accepted his hand.

"This is why half of Hogwarts thinks that we're dating" she said holding up their linked hands.

"Only half?" Benjy grinned as they joined the throng of students walking out of the gates.

They fell into a comfortable silence, it was always comfortable with Benjy, as easy as breathing, it always had been.

"How long do you think they'll keep the trips going?" he mused.

Hermione frowned, her eyes scanning over the crowd of students, most people seemed to be in a big group, far different to the smaller clusters that were common just last year.

People also seemed to just stick with their Housemates, their were very few inter -House students walking around together.

"We only have three years left" she shrugged "you even less, hopefully they last until then"

"Do you really believe the rumours?" Benjy asked as they walked down the dirt path that led to the village of Hogsmeade

"Yes" Hermione said confidently

"The Ministry says that the disappearances are all a big coincidence" Benjy said.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked

"I think that they're all a bunch of lying bastards" he grinned

Hermione chuckled at that, unable to hold back her smile.

"I'm not too worried though" Benjy stated.

"Why not?" Hermione curiously asked.

"Because I have you to keep me safe" he grinned.

A warmth filled her chest and then it was dashed away by a rush of fear, this war was set to take Benjy's life if she didn't stop it.

"I will" she said with far too much heat

Benjy looked at her perplexed.

"I promise" she vigorously nodded.

He rolled his eyes at her, a fond smile on his face, "what do you want to do first?" he asked, changing the subject "examine the Wards or go get some Butterbeer?"

"Let's get the Wards out of the way" she said

Benjy nodded and steered them away from the dirt path and into the forest.

 **}{—}{—}{**

"So why exactly do we do this every time that we come out here?" Benjy asked, he was laid down in the snow, watching the clouds, a charm keeping his clothes clean and dry.

Hermione held the watch in one hand and her wand in the other, she was doing preliminary checks on the ward, she still hadn't figured out how to anchor her Portkey but she was sure that she was on the right track when it came to breaching the wards.

"Just some research" Hermione brushed him off

"Are you ever going to tell me?" he laughed

"One day" she promised as she walked down ten feet and then walked back and then repeated the process.

"I got a letter from my Dad yesterday" Benjy suddenly said.

"Really?" Hermione said surprised, her attention unbroken as she continued her pacing and jerked her wand left to right and left again.

"I'm invited over to Christmas dinner" he snorted "I'd rather catch dragon pox than eat with him and his wife"

"Maybe he's trying to make up for all these years?" Hermione questioned "Isn't this the third time that he's invited you over for Christmas?"

"Bastard walks out on me because his Pureblood family can't accept having a Halfblood around and then he pops up thirteen years later when his miserable father dies" Benjy says bitterly "he can stick it where the sun doesn't shine"

"It his loss" Hermione said, pausing her work.

Benjy's eyes were firmly fixed on the grey sky above, his body tight with tension.

"You're amazing" she said earnestly, "so amazing that I'm going to name my first born after you, regardless of gender" she joked

He snorted and finally turned his head to face her "don't, I hate my name" he shook his head, sitting up, "I was named after him, you know"

"No, I didn't, actually" Hermione admitted.

"His name is Benjy; Benjy Selwyn" he frowned "my mum thought that if I couldn't have his last name, then I should at least get his first" he sighed, "but I wish she'd never bothered"

"Well I love your stupid name" Hermione scowled, upset at seeing him so down.

Benjy rolled his eyes at her and rose to his feet.

"I'm being serious" Hermione persisted, "I love your name and your face and your personality, how many people would spend their Hogsmeade trip sitting around in the cold?" she demanded "your Dad is a twat and it was honestly his loss" she said.

"You love me" Benjy cringed, pulling a face but a smile broke out against his will

"Yes" Hermione grinned back, "now let's go get some bloody Butterbeers"

 **}{—}{—}{**

After a quick stop at Honeydukes, where Hermione bought a large bag of Sugar quills and then Ceridwen's Cauldrons where Benjy bought two brand new ones, they settled in at the back of the Three Broomsticks where they had to share a table with two Slytherin's because the place was so jam-packed.

Hermione enjoyed her time with Benjy, he had a knack for getting her mind off of her usual worries, of making her just sit and talk about rubbish and actually enjoy it.

He never needed nagging to do his homework, he never enquired about her activities or pushed her on anything, he wasn't closed off or moody, he said what he felt and then moved on,

She'd always struggled with friends, in both lifetimes, but being friends with Benjy was effortless.

"On Morgana's wand, I thought that Slughorn was going to have a heart attack then and there" he laughed

"That would have been a sight" Hermione laughed, taking another sip of her Butterbeer.

The Three Broomsticks was brightly lit and filled with rambunctious chatter, the air was nice and warm batting away the cold chill coming in whenever the door was opened.

Hermione's eyes carelessly scanned her surroundings, Madame Rosmerta had a crowd of Hogwarts boys at the bar all clambering for her attention, their was a group of Ravenclaws wildly debating some topic to the far left and by the windows…

Hermione frowned at the sight.

It was rather odd to see.

"They look miserable" she told Benjy, nodding towards the Marauders.

They were sat around a table with various bottles and sweets adorning it. Sirius Black was slumped in his seat, a frown on his face and nursing a Butterbeer. James Potter looked even more miserable but seemed to be trying to listen to whatever Peter was saying. Remus just looked tired, but that wasn't surprising as the full moon was this weekend. Peter was the only one that looked like he was having a decent time.

Benjy chuckled at the sight, "something must have really annoyed them" he grinned

"Yeah" she agreed, wondering what it could be. The Marauders got away with murder at school, she doubted that their was anything that could get under their skin.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Over the next week the Marauders elevated their bad mood by pranking the whole school; Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, little first years and exam stressed seventh years - no one was safe.

Except Lily and Hermione.

This had the added disadvantage of having the Gryffindor girls glued to Hermione's side whenever she walked the hallways of Hogwarts.

"Honestly Arlo, they haven't pranked any Gryffindors all day, I'm sure your safe" Hermione huffed

They were sat in a little corner of the Library, Hermione had come straight after class and Arlo had reluctantly tagged along and was now too scared to go to the common room alone.

"It's not worth the risk" she frowned "I'll just sit here and wait" she crossed her arms.

Hermione tried to ignore her and focus on her homework but she only lasted two groans from the girl before she gave up.

"Alright, alright" she sighed putting down her quill, "let's go"

"I adore you" Arlo beamed, jumping up from her seat.

Hermione began to pack her stuff away, stacking the various textbooks atop each other, when she spotted a brown paper bag.

"Is that yours?" she asked Arlo, grabbing a hold of the bag.

"No" Arlo shook her head.

Curious, Hermione opened it, only to a see a large stack of Sugarquills.

"Must be yours" Arlo said when she saw what it contained "you're the only one I know that eats those things" she grimaced.

"I left mine in the dorm" Hermione frowned, sure that it wasn't her batch.

"Well, it's yours now" Arlo grinned "hurry up, would you?"

With a roll of her eyes, Hermione stuffed it in her book bag along with her books and followed after Arlo.

"You're far too paranoid" she criticised when they made it safely to the common room.

"It's better to be safe than sorry" Arlo said as they climbed up the stairs to their dorm room.

Hermione sighed as she grabbed the door knob and swung it open "next time, just - Merlin's beard!" choked out Hermione at the sight she laid eyes upon.

Marlene was stood in the middle of their dorm room, covered head to toe in what seemed to be red and gold paint, Diana and Lily stood either side of her, seemingly unsure of what to do.

"They got you!" Arlo said far too exuberantly, throwing Hermione a smug 'I told you so' look

"Just outside the common room" Marlene growled, a ferocious glare aimed at Arlo, whose grin instantly disappeared. "I'm going to shower" Marlene snapped, stalking away from the other girls and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"You should have seen the look on her face when it happened" Diana grimaced, making her way to sit on her bed. "It was awful" she sighed as Hermione and Arlo walked further into the room "we gave the password, the portrait swung open and then bam!" Diana cried out, "Marlene was covered head to toe and the entire common room burst out laughing" she frowned, "they didn't even look guilty, those twats"

"I hope she gave them a right tongue lashing" Arlo frowned, all her good feelings replaced with indignant fury for her friend.

"She rounded on James, Peter and Remus" Diana frowned "but you know what she's like with Black" she shook her head "and he was laughing the hardest, rolling around on the floor and everything"

"He was probably the mastermind behind it" Lily shook her head.

Hermione couldn't help but agree, she'd known Peter long enough to know that he and Remus were tag alongs to whatever escapade Potter and Black came up with.

"She's hopeless" Arlo shook her head, sitting down on her bed "going crazy over a boy like _Sirius_ "

"He's not that bad" Diana defended

She was instantly rounded on by a scowling Lily and Arlo.

"Not that bad!" Lily said, eyes as wide as saucers.

"He's the worst!" Arlo asserted

Diana stared at them in surprise, utterly flummoxed by their reactions.

"Just this morning he cursed Severus and he had to go to the hospital wing to get his arm treated" Lily argued.

"And yesterday he got Benjy with a stinging hex to the _face_ " Arlo growled.

Hermione frowned at the memory, she'd sat at Benjy's side and held his hand as Madam Pomfrey healed his face. Benjy hadn't been all that angry over it, finding the whole thing more humours than she had.

" _He shouldn't have hit you with that curse" Hermione scowled, holding Benjy's hand far tighter than necessary_

" _I get to miss Herbology" he gloated, his face puffy and unrecognisable "besides they've been getting everyone" Benjy shrugged "on some sort of mad pranking spree"_

" _This wasn't a prank" Hermione sighed "It was malicious and wrong"_

" _Most of their pranks are malicious" Benjy said with what she presumed was an eye roll but with the way his face was, she really couldn't tell. "Besides you inspired this" he said, waving at his face for emphasis._

" _How!" Hermione demanded_

" _Back in your first year, that scuffle with the Ravenclaws" Benjy said "you did the same thing to Kevin Winston" he said accusingly_

 _Hermione frowned, struggling to remember. "Did I?" she questioned_

" _Yes!" Benjy grinned, his puffy face awkwardly stretching out._

" _I doubt he'd remember that" Hermione argued_

" _I think Sirius Black remembers a lot of things about you" Benjy said with an odd tone._

" _What?" she questioned_

" _You're kind of hard to forget Ms Evans" Benjy grinned_

" _Thanks for compliment" Hermione smiled "now remember last year when I wore that gorgeous orange sweater and you said that I looked like a troll with orange paint" she bought up_

" _Muggle trolls, not magical" Benjy quickly defended "and honestly with the way your hair was all over the place, it was an accurate description" he laughed "Why?" he asked with a frown_

" _When you smile you look like one of the Merpeople" she admitted "all stretched out and gross, your sides actually look like gills" she said seriously_

 _There was a pause as Benjy took in her words and then he nodded "good to know" he said "thanks Hermione."_

"For the love of Merlin" Diana rolled her eyes, "you make him sound like Mordred reincarnated" she scoffed "he's not that bad, is he Hermione?"

At once three pair of eyes turned to face her and Hermione found herself taken aback by the situation.

She always struggled with her feelings for Black, she couldn't write him off as a hopeless bully like James Potter, she knew the man that he would grow up to be, knew of the struggles he faced with his family and felt first hand his kindness and bravery.

She couldn't completely compartmentalise the Sirius Black she once knew and the one she was now faced with as two separate people, not when Peter spoke of the times he'd stood up for him and helped him and not when Remus spoke of how Sirius was the first to declare that he didn't care about him being a werewolf, how he'd never, not even for a moment, treated him differently over it.

She couldn't say any of that, so instead she went with the only thing that came to mind.

"He's never done anything to me" she awkwardly blurted.

It instantly dawned on her that that was the wrong thing to say because she was rewarded with three similar looks of disbelief.

It was Diana who spoke, stabbing her in the back when she'd dragged her into the situation in the first place

"That's a bit selfish" Diana frowned

Hermione rolled her eyes and made her way to her bed just as Marlene came out of the bathroom, huffing and puffing over the incident.

Uninterested in any further talk of the Marauders, Hermione grabbed her night clothes and made her way into the bathroom.

 **}{—}{—}{**

When Marlene woke up the next day still ranting and raving, all Hermione had wished for was a Marauder's free day.

Someone, somewhere, must have hated her because Sirius Black was everywhere she went. It shouldn't have been such an odd occurrence, they had identical timetables, an incident that had surprised her back in third year.

What would make Sirius Black pick Ancient Runes by himself instead of Divinations with his friends?

In the grand scheme of things, Sirius and his choices mattered very little, she had projects to get on with and a world to save, a mission that he was now interrupting.

They were sat in Ancient Runes, Hermione in her usual seat by the window and Sirius next to her but across the aisle, the class had been given free reign to work on protection runes, Hermione was of course still working on her watch but her concentration was broken by a small piece of paper landing on her desk.

Surprised Hermione looked up from her work to Sirius, who was urging her to read the note.

With awkward fingers Hermione opened up the note, doing her best to conceal the flare of annoyance that she felt.

 _Evans,_

 _You look like you're in need of a break, so I thought I'd take your mind off of this tedious class with my charm and wit._

 _Black_

Hermione frowned at the note, having to read it twice to make sure that she'd read it correctly, with a roll of her eyes, she scrunched up the note and stuffed it in to the pocket of her robes.

Almost instantly, another note, hit her desk.

This time she didn't bother to read it, destroying it in the same manner as the first.

A third note was about to hit her desk when a hand plucked it out of thin air, Professor Vector suddenly appeared in the aisle, startling both Hermione and Sirius.

"Mr Black, Ms Evans" Professor Vector said darkly, a glare aimed at the two as the class fell quiet, all eyes on the three of them.

"I would kindly remind you to save your flirting for outside of my class" Professor Vector glowered. "Detention, for the both of you"

"What?" Hermione sputtered, taken aback by the situation "I didn't-"

"Tonight" Vector cut her off "Eight o'clock"

Hermione sat back in surprise as the woman walked away, it wasn't her first detention but she'd never received one from her favourite Professor, especially for something that she had no control over.

Another note hit her desk.

There was pause in the air as Hermione stared at it and then swiftly glared at the culprit.

Sirius Black had a sheepish grin on his face, his dark grey eyes alight with amusement, there was no guilt, no remorse.

With a scowl, Hermione scrunched up the note and then grabbed her wand and put up a small shield around herself, more for her sanity sakes than any fear of Vector or detentions because if she received one more bloody note, she was sure that she would throttle the boy.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Sirius had tried to talk to her after class but Hermione had been too quick, coming up with an excuse and running off.

She was sat in the common room in her own little corner with Lily and Arlo. It was late evening so the common room was packed with Gryffindors, the first years were huddled by the windows, the third years by the bookcase and the Marauders were by the fireplace.

"I can't believe that he hasn't asked you out again" Arlo sighed

They were suppose to be working on their Transfiguration essay but they'd somehow gotten off topic and were instead discussing their love lives.

After their Hogsmeade date, Hector Jones had barely acknowledged Lily.

"I thought it went really well" Lily frowned "and now he acts like I don't exist"

"At least you managed to get a date" Arlo pouted, "at this rate Hermione and I are going to get old and grey and die alone"

"What?" Hermione laughed in surprise "why am I included in your desperately lonely future and Lily isn't?" she raised a brow in jest.

"Because Lily has James Potter" Arlo said

"What!" This time it was the other Evans twin

"Oh don't get mad" Arlo sighed "all I mean is that if the worst were to happen and you were all alone and single, you could always hook up with James"

"I'd rather chew off my own arm" Lily grimaced

"But you have that option" Arlo grinned "whereas Hermione and I have no suitors knocking down our doors" she pitifully sighed "Hermione you've never even been out with a boy!" She said aghast.

"Boys aren't high up on my list of things" Hermione shrugged.

"But they should be!" Arlo demanded "we're young, pretty and single, in a school with gorgeous wizards, boys should be right at the top of your list" she said.

"Duly noted" Hermione shook her head, trying to regain her focus on her transfiguration homework but this time it was Lily who continued on with the topic.

"I'm not saying that Arlo's right" Lily said "but dates are fun" she smiled "boys are fun" she slyly grinned.

Hermione frowned at the pair, unsure of exactly what to say.

"What about Cole Mason?" Lily suddenly said

"What about him?" Hermione frowned

"Ohhh, he's cute" Arlo enthusiastically said "and a Hufflepuff, you like Hufflepuffs" she said with an accusing tone.

"What?" Hermione breathed, thoroughly confused by the conversation

"For someone so smart, you can be rather thick" Arlo rolled her eyes "Ow!" she suddenly cried, "did you just kick me?" she accused Lily

"Must have been the Nargles" Lily offhandedly said/

Hermione grinned at that, a stab of pride and pain pricking at her chest

"Back to the conversation at hand" Lily said "Cole Mason is clever and cute, he has gorgeous blue eyes and he's captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team"

"So?" Hermione frowned

"So" Arlo said "he would be perfect for you"

Hermione's eyes grew as wide as saucers when she finally realised what they meant.

"I can set you up with him" Arlo squealed "I'm friends with Mary Macdonald and she plays for the Hufflepuff team"

"No" Hermione frowned

"Why not?" Lily questioned

Hermione paused at that, coming up short with an actual answer.

Boys had always been an odd issue for Hermione, when she'd first developed feelings for the opposite sex it had been Viktor Krum, Quidditch extraordinaire. He'd been everything a girl could have wanted, dashing, funny and a great dancer to boot but her feelings for one Ronald Weasley had complicated it all.

Ron was nothing like Viktor, he was brazen and hot tempered but he made her heart race and her body melt, until he was brutally murdered along with everyone else she'd ever loved.

Love was a wonderful but devastating thing, her losses had almost destroyed her, they still haunted her every waking moment, Harry, Ginny, Ron, they were impossible to forget and she'd tried her best to keep her list of loved ones short in this world.

It was never meant to contain more than her family but Benjy Fenwick and Peter Pettigrew had wormed their way into her heart and now she lost sleep over how to change their fates, adding one more name to that list was not something that she wanted to happen.

"I just don't want to" she lamely said, her mind scrambling for another topic of conversation when her eyes landed on Marlene, heading straight for the Marauders. "What's she doing?" Hermione asked and as expected Arlo latched on to the situation, Lily however kept frowning at her, but Hermione pretended not to see.

"Making a fool of herself" Arlo said

Marlene came to a stop between the recliner that was occupied by Sirius and the couch that Remus and James were sat on, Peter was sat on the recliner on the other end.

From where she was sat Hermione had a clear view of Sirius, he was slouched in his seat with a frown on his face, his uniform was in it's usual state of disarray, with his shirt sleeves folded up and his tie loose around his neck.

Marlene suddenly sat on the arm of the recliner and Sirius moved as far away from her as he could get on the seat.

"Oh, no" Lily sighed

Marlene seemed nonplussed and continued to chat away.

"I wish we could hear what they were saying" Arlo said

Sirius rolled his eyes and then turned his head, as if by magic, his grey eyes connected with Hermione's own and a smile pulled at his lips.

"I think that's a smile" Arlo suddenly spoke.

Sirius abruptly stood up and without a second glance at Marlene began to walk over to Hermione.

Lily and Arlo immediately turned away, focusing on their essays.

"Pretend you weren't staring at them!" Arlo whispered under her breath

Hermione snapped out of it and grabbed at her essay, pretending to be busy with it but she knew that it was far too late, they'd all been caught snooping.

Sirius came to a stop right in front of their table and for a few awkward seconds the three girls kept staring at their essays, hoping that he would just go away.

When wishing him away failed to work, Hermione placed down her essay and looked up at him.

Sirius was stood with a smirk on his face and his hands in his pockets, nonchalantly looking at them.

"Black?" Hermione questioned, the other two girls finally put down their own essays and faced the Black heir.

"Detention, Evans" Sirius smirked, a glint in his eyes.

It took Hermione a moment to figure out what he meant

"Shoot" She frowned, casting a quick Tempus charm to check the time, her frown deepened when she realised that it was ten to eight.

"We're going to be late" she sighed, quickly packing up her stuff, ignoring the looks Lily and Arlo were sending her.

"Let's go" she said, briskly walking towards the portrait door, Sirius fell into step besides her and Hermione walked out of the common room with questioning looks from Lily and Marlene's glare aimed at her back.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **AN: I'll be going away on holiday this Saturday, good news is that thanks to the long airplane ride and the free time, I'll be posting another update on Thursday, the bad news is that things pick up on my second week of holiday and their won't be an update for Thursday August 31st, 2 weeks from now, updates will resume as normal after that.**

 **Also, teaser for chapter 6 is up on my Tumblr page.**

 **El.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I had to write this in a busy airport and then on an uncomfortable flight, it was a very stressful situation all around. The chapter went in a direction, I really wasn't planning for but it felt right in the end.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

Professor Vector has chosen the most tedious punishment for their detention, cleaning Hogwarts' large collection of trophies.

"I want every single one to be sparkling clean on my return" she demanded "without magic" she icily added, raising her hand, palm up in front of Sirius Black.

With a sigh, Sirius handed over his wand.

"1 hour" Vector ordered

"Wait" Sirius called out "why doesn't she lose her wand?" he demanded, nodding over at Hermione.

Vector looked at him with a smirk "I _trust_ Ms Evans" she said, turning around and walking out of the room.

With a sigh, Hermione moved over to the table, grabbed a rag and some cleaning spray and made her way over to the trophy cabinet at the back.

To her surprise, instead of picking the many other cabinets in the room, Sirius sidled up next to her.

She gave him a curious glance, but Sirius paid her no mind as he grabbed a trophy and got to work cleaning it.

With a sigh, Hermione did the same.

They worked in silence. It wasn't comfortable like her quiet moments with Benjy, there was an odd undercurrent in the air, a spark that crawled up her spine and put her on edge.

Against her better judgement, she snuck a glance at him, only to realise that Sirius was staring back.

"What?" she demanded, flustered by his gaze.

"Nothing" Sirius smirked, brushing a strand of curly black hair from his eyes.

"Then are why you staring at me?" Hermione enquired.

"Is staring a crime?" Sirius asked with a raised brow

"No" Hermione frowned "but it's strange, so stop it" she demanded.

With a roll of his eyes, Sirius turned away from her, dutifully cleaning a trophy. Hermione, however found herself unable to turn away, Sirius was taller than her by a few inches, with broad sturdy shoulders and high cheekbones, unlike her wild curls, his own seemed to effortlessly fall into place.

"Now who's staring?" Sirius smirked.

"You started it" Hermione quipped

"That, I did, Ms Evans" Sirius agreed, causing her to smile.

A matching grin spread across Sirius' face.

With a shake of her head, Hermione tried to focus on the trophy cleaning, it only lasted a few seconds before she gave in to her wishes.

"Step back" she ordered Sirius, with a confused look Sirius did as commanded.

She whipped out her wand and in a matter of seconds, every trophy in the room was sparkling clean.

Sirius gave a her full blown smile "didn't know you had it in you Evans" he said

"Their's a lot you don't know about me" she shrugged.

"Their's at least forty five minutes left before she returns" Sirius said

Hermione sighed and made her way to the only table in the room, their weren't any chairs so she had to settle for sitting atop it instead.

"Their's not much to do in here" Hermione frowned

"We could make out?" Sirius suggested

"What?" Hermione frowned, eyes wide "no!" she objected

"It's a great way to pass the time" Sirius laughed, coming to sit besides her.

"It's still a no" Hermione shook her head.

"Your loss Evans" Sirius shrugged.

"I think you mean, my gain" she sassed.

"You should do that more often" Sirius grinned and she felt a strange flutter in her stomach at the sight.

"Put you in your place?" she enquired

"Smile" he corrected.

She frowned at him and her eyes narrowed.

"You just" Sirius sighed, a strange look in his eyes "always seem sort of sad" he shrugged "when you smile, the look goes away"

"Look?" she wondered

"You get this look on your face" Sirius explained "like someone's died or something" he frowned

"Geez, thanks" Hermione breathed and he grinned at her words.

"Hey, you still look pretty" Sirius shrugged "not a lot of girls could pull that off"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, "smooth" she complimented "I can see why the girls of Hogwarts are queuing up to date you"

Sirius shuffled closer to her, so close that their arms were touching and she could smell his scent, cherries and smoke.

"To bad it's never the right girl" he shrugged, averting her gaze.

An awkward air fell over them and Hermione inched slightly away, just enough so that they were no longer touching.

She didn't consider herself stupid and as much as she wanted to lie to herself, her brain just wouldn't let her.

Sirius Black was definitely flirting with her.

She supposed it shouldn't have come as a surprise, the boy flirted with anything that walked, even Professor McGonagall.

"So" she breathed, wracking her brain for anything to break the awkward silence, "going to the Quidditch game?" was the best that she could come up with.

Sirius narrowed his eyes, scrutinising her face, his lips pulled into a thin line. He seemed disappointed by her response but what else did he expect?

"Probably" he sighed "James is playing and it's against fucking Slytherin" he grimaced.

"You really hate that House" she noted.

"I don't hate the House" he shook his head, "I hate 99% of the people _in_ the House" he corrected.

Hermione snorted, not believing a single a word "name one Slytherin that you like?" she challenged

"Regulus, my brother" he answered without missing a beat.

The grin slipped off her face and it felt like she'd been sucker punched in the chest.

"Don't look so horrified" Sirius frowned "he's not like the other snakes, at least not yet, he's only a third year" Sirius rambled and she realised that confident, cocky Sirius Black was nervous.

"I'm sure he's lovely" Hermione said honestly, her mind coping with a thousand memories at once.

 _RAB - Regulus Arcturus Black_

"Besides, the bar hasn't been set very high by you" she joked

Sirius was still clearly on edge, panic and something else in his eyes but he formed a grin at her words "I'm not the problem Evans" he shook his head "you just have ridiculously high standards"

"No I don't" she spluttered

"Yeah, actually you kind of do" Sirius objected "I can count on one hand how many times you've said something nice to me"

"I say lots of nice things about you" Hermione quipped, her mind flashing back to the dorm, when she could have sided with Lily and Arlo but had sort of stuck up for him instead, "when you're not being a bullying toe rag, you actually have some likeable qualities"

Sirius raised a brow at her words "name one thing you like about me" he challenged

"I like how you smell" she said without thinking. Sirius faltered at her words, jerking back from her as if she'd physically struck him and then the largest smile she'd ever seen appeared on his face.

"My smell?" he asked

"Like cherries and smoke" she admitted, her cheeks flushing pink from embarrassment.

Sirius stared at her and she boldly stared back, he moved closer and she stayed still, refusing to squirm away, heat crawled up her spine and her stomach churned as the air seemed to crackle to life.

"The cherry's my cologne" he said quietly, his head inching closer to her, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes.

"It's a nice cologne" she managed to say

"The smoke's a bad habit" he added, his head only inches from her own, from this distance she could see the colour of his eyes, a dark grey with swirls of brown.

"You should really give it up" she breathed, waiting for him to do something, anything.

The door swung open and the two jumped apart in surprise.

"Oh" said Professor Vector "done already?"

Hermione's heart was galloping in her chest and she did her best not to look guilty

"We're fast workers" Sirius effortlessly lied.

"Are you alright Ms Evans?" Professor Vector asked, "you look a little red?"

"Fine, Professor" she managed to say "just tired"

"Well, it's almost curfew" Vector said "off to bed now"

"Yes, Professor" they simultaneously said. She scurried through the door, leaving Sirius behind to get his wand.

Hermione walked as fast as she could, mentally shaking her head at herself.

 _What was that?_

 _What had just happened between her and Black?_

"Hermione" Sirius called, "would you slow down woman"

"We'll be late for curfew" she objected but slowed down nonetheless.

"We have a decent excuse" he said, falling into step beside her

"For once" she conceded, her mind going to a night, long ago, when she'd taken pity on four boys and had whisked them away through the tunnels of Hogwarts.

They walked side by side, the air awkward and roaring with silence.

 _Should she speak?_

 _What should she say?_

Sirius seemed as much at a loss as she was, he rung his hands together and ran them through his hair as he huffed but he spoke no words.

"Mugwump" Hermione told the portrait, it swung open and she hurriedly entered inside

"Hermione" Sirius called after her but she purposely ignored it, all but running up the stairs to the girls dormitory, not stopping until she'd shoved her room open and firmly shut the door.

"Finally!" called a voice.

Hermione startled back in surprise, astonished to see all the girls awake and staring at her.

Before she could get her bearings, Marlene pounced.

"Where were you?" she demanded, standing in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips.

"Detention" Hermione answered, pushing past her to get to her bed.

"Well?" Marlene enquired

"Well, what?" Hermione frowned, removing Gus from her sheets, so she didn't sit on the poor thing.

"What happened?" Marlene huffed

Hermione sat down on her bed, holding Gus in her arms "I cleaned some trophies" she shrugged.

"What happened with Sirius?" Marlene snapped

"Nothing" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You were gone for ages" Marlene accused.

"Yeah, cleaning trophies" Hermione snapped back.

"Marlene, give it a rest" Lily frowned

Marlene gave Lily a scathing look and then sat herself down on Hermione's bed, "what did he say?" she demanded

"Not much" Hermione lied "we're not exactly best friends"

"Did he mention me?" Marlene's blue eyes were tinged with hope.

"No" Hermione instantly answered and muffled giggles came from Arlo's bed

Marlene ignored the giggles in favour of interrogating Hermione, "did he mention any girl?"

"No" she said and Marlene breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Well what did you talk about?"

Hermione paused for thought, what had they talked about?

 _His brother._

 _How nice he smelled._

 _How sad she looked._

But none of the those were topics she wanted to discuss with Marlene McKinnon so she went with "his bullying behaviour"

"What?" Marlene gasped, eyes as wide as saucers.

"I told him that he was a bullying toe rag that needed to change" she lied, channeling the way Lily spoke to Potter.

"Your joking" Marlene huffed.

"No" Hermione shook her head.

"I can't believe you" Marlene snapped, rising from Hermione's bed, "you had alone time with Sirius Black and you used it to insult him" she scowled, stalking away from Hermione's bed.

"His ego was big enough to take it" Hermione joked, earning another scowl from the blonde.

 **}{—}{—}{**

"I still don't understand" Lily frowned, taking a bite of her sausage, her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"He isn't worth the time" Hermione quietly replied, sending a glare to Hector Jones who was draped all over Megan Mitchell. "No boy is"

Lily raised her head, frowning at Hermione "some boys are" she said with a sneaky grin

Hermione raised a brow.

"Don't kill me" Lily smiled

"That'll depend on what you've done" Hermione warned

"I may" she hesitated "have sort of" she dragged on "hinted to Cole Mason that you were open to dating" she quickly said.

Hermione's stomach swopped at the words "what!" she demanded

Lily frowned, holding her hands up as if to push Hermione away "I was only trying to help and he _likes_ you!" she said excitedly

"So!" Hermione snapped "I don't like him" she huffed

"You don't know what you like" Lily guilty frowned "and you won't know unless you start trying out dating"

Annoyed, Hermione rose from her seat and grabbed her book bag,

"Hermione?" Lily frowned but she paid her no mind as she walked away from her and out of the Great Hall.

She was the first to arrive at Transfiguration, with a sigh, she sat at her usual seat next to Peter, taking out one of the books from the restricted section to keep herself occupied.

Slowly, the class began to fill up.

Lily walked in but wisely chose not to approach Hermione, taking her usual seat with Arlo.

"What's got you so annoyed?"

Hermione turned in surprise, because it wasn't Peter asking her but Sirius.

"Where's Peter?" Hermione frowned, an uncomfortable sensation climbing up her spine at the sight of Black.

Sirius placed his bag on the desk and sat down next to her, "he asked to swap seats" he shrugged, trying to appear at ease but Hermione picked up on the tension in his shoulders.

With a frown, she turned to Sirius' usual seat only to see Peter sat in it, firmly averting her gaze.

"What did you do?" she narrowed her eyes at Sirius.

"Nothing" Sirius shrugged, "Peter _wanted_ to swap"

Hermione didn't believe him for a second but Professor McGonagall's entrance silenced her displeasure.

They were only ten minutes into class when Sirius passed her a note.

The sight of the scrap of paper had anger rushing through her veins and churning in her stomach, did he want her to hex him? Was that why he kept pushing her buttons?

Hermione made no effort to pick it up, focusing on McGonagall's task instead

Sirius nudged her shoulders but she resolutely ignored him.

"It's important" he whispered

Hermione sighed, meeting his gaze.

His grey eye glimmered with determination and what she presumed to be a small dash of hope.

With a frown, Hermione grabbed the note, sneaked a look at McGonagall and when it was clear that the Professor was occupied, she opened up the note.

Their were only four words on it, but they left her utterly dumbstruck.

She read it again and again, her stomach tightening each time and her shoulders tensing, but the words remained the same.

In Sirius' neat scrawl were the words, _go out with me._

Completely and utterly taken aback Hermione placed the parchment in her robe pocket and went back to her school work, refusing to lift her gaze and look at Sirius.

He couldn't be serious?

Sirius Black and her?

On a date?

The thought alone made her want to laugh.

"So?" Sirius impatiently whispered

"No" She immediately rebuffed, still not looking at him.

He fell quiet but it didn't last because moments later he asked "why not?"

"It's too long a list" she snorted, finally turning to face him.

He was much closer then she'd realised, leaning over into her side of the desk, he wasn't remotely upset, quite the opposite in fact with a cocky smirk on his lips.

Hermione placed the tip of her wand on his shoulder blade and pushed at him

With an amused look, Sirius moved back of his own accord.

Hermione turned to her work, eager to ignore him.

"What have you got to lose?" Sirius whispered, his grey eyes burning a hole in the side of her head.

"My dignity" Hermione easily answered

"Dignity is overrated" Sirius smirked

"You're overrated" she rebutted

She could see Sirius frown out of the corner of her eye and she felt a strange surge of guilt.

But it was really his own fault, he wasn't her type at all.

Sirius ignored her for the rest of the lesson and when the bell rang he all but stormed out of the room.

The guilt refused to abate and she was sure that she'd hurt his feelings.

"What's wrong with him?" Lily curiously asked

"Don't know" Hermione lied, frowning at her twin. Without another word, she did exactly what Sirius did and stormed out of Transfiguration.

In times like these, their was only one person Hermione could talk to, sadly Benjy was a year older and thus wasn't available for a chat until lunch time, when she dragged him down to the grounds and to the lake.

Benjy was her go to person, the one she could tell almost anything to and most of the time he had decent advice, this however was not one of those times.

"Well?" Hermione demanded, frowning at her best friend.

They were sat side by side at the edge of the lake, warming charms keeping them both nice and cosy.

Benjy frowned back her, his sky blue eyes giving her no clues.

"Boys?" he finally managed to say "you never have problems about _boys_ " he said the word like he'd never heard it before.

"One boy" Hermione corrected "and an interfering sister"

"So, your mad at Lily for trying to set you up on a date with a good looking, very popular, quidditch player" Benjy said "and you're also mad because another good looking boy asked you out?" he breathed

"No" Hermione shook her head, "I'm mad at Lily for interfering when I already told her that I wasn't interested in Cole and I'm not mad at Sirius, I…" she paused, she wasn't sure how she felt really, she most certainly didn't want to date him but the guilt refused to leave "I just feel bad" she admitted

"Well, you shouldn't" Benjy said "you can't help who you like or in this case, don't like" he shrugged "iI was the right thing to do"

She felt the knot of guilt ease slightly.

"And I can see why you're so mad at Lily but why are you so against dating?" he frowned

"Because it's pointless" she admitted

Benjy's frown deepened and she elaborated "I'm too busy for all the drama and the emotional effort that goes into it, it's just exhausting"

"The greatest things in life usually are" Benjy shrugged "but it's worth it in the end" he grinned

"How would you know?" Hermione questioned "your longest relationship was for three months"

"And they were the best three months ever" Benjy grinned "come on Evans" he breathed "why won't you give Cole or any other poor bastard a proper chance?"

Hermione sighed, her eyes taking in the frozen lake before turning to face Benjy, "what if I like them?" she breathed "really, really, like them?"

"That's what you want to happen?" Benjy frowned "you want to fall head over heels in love"

"I don't" she vehemently shook her head.

"Then what's the plan, never date until you die?" Benjy sighed

"No" she shook her head, "just until 1981" Voldemort would be gone by then and their would be no chance of him harming anyone she loved.

"1981?" Benjy frowned

"I'll be ready then" she nodded

"You're ready now" Benjy said, "Hermione" he sighed, grabbing a hold of her hand "emotions are good for you, _love_ is good for you, heck, it's good for everyone" he breathed "so don't be so damn petrified"

"I'm not!" she snapped

"You are!" Benjy snapped back "but you're only screwing yourself over" he shook his head "if I were you, I'd be on my knees thanking Merlin that boys like Sirius and Cole are interested, especially with all that hair"

"Oy!" Hermione snapped, clutching at her mane of hair

"Too far?" Benjy frowned

"A little bit, yeah" Hermione admitted

"Sorry" he sheepishly grinned

"I'd rather have my crazy hair than your ugly mug any day" Hermione grinned back

"Ugly mug!" Benjy cried "I'll have you know that the girls of Hogwarts go crazy over this ugly mug"

"Whatever" Hermione giggled.

 **}{—}{—}{**

After her talk with Benjy, Hermione didn't feel much better.

She didn't want to be closed off to the world but she also couldn't afford to get hurt or be sidetracked.

She wasn't like everyone else.

She couldn't ever be truthful, not about her research or her life, it would all just lead to more questions.

Questions she really couldn't answer.

"Hey?"

Hermione looked up from the textbook she was reading, she was sat on her bed, leaning back against the headboard.

Lily stood by the door, having just entered the room.

"Hey?" Hermione awkwardly replied, closing the textbook.

"I'm sorry" Lily suddenly sighed, walking further into the room "I overstepped and I should have listened to you and stopped"

"You should have" Hermione agreed.

"I'm a bitch" she held up her hands

"No your not" Hermione sighed "just overbearing"

Lily grimaced and sat down on Hermione's bed, clasping her hand, "I'm sorry" she breathed

"I know" Hermione conceded "your forgiven" she added with a rueful smile

Lily beamed at her and threw her arms around her, pulling her in for a hug, "never again" she swore

"Alright" Hermione playfully shrugged her off.

"And you don't have to worry about dying alone, you can live with me for the rest of your life" Lily joked.

"I don't think I could put up with James Potter for that long" Hermione replied back in jest.

Lily snorted at the thought "don't curse me" she shuddered

 **}{—}{—}{**

The following day Hermione did her best to move on but that was rather hard when Sirius Black followed her _everywhere_.

He sat with her at breakfast, much to Lily's chagrin.

He kept passing her notes in Potions.

He tried to talk to her in the hallways

By mid day, Hermione wanted to throttle him.

She walked out of Charms with Lily but as she had Ancient Runes and Lily Divinations, they quickly parted ways.

Hermione was alone for only a moment, when Sirius fell into step besides her.

"Those books look heavy" he commented

"They're not" Hermione replied, holding her textbooks a little tighter.

"I could carry them for you" he shrugged

"I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own books" she replied.

Sirius frustratedly breathed out, running his hand through hair.

"The weather's nice" he suddenly spoke

Hermione glanced out of the windows in the hallway, the sky was a bleak grey and it was heavily raining.

"I meant for October" he nervously added, "the weather's great for this time of year" he lamely said.

Hermione shook her head but remained silent.

Their was already a large queue outside the door when they arrived at Ancient Runes and Hermione silently joined the end.

A large group of Slytherin's walked past them and before she could realise what was happening, they were toppling all over each each other, coming to a great big crash on the floor.

The line of fifth years burst into laughter, all except Hermione, who sent Sirius a scathing look.

"What?" he shrugged, a delightful smirk on his lips

"They're younger than you she fumed" glancing back at the Slytherins, who were dusting themselves off "and they had their backs turned" she scolded "pick on someone your own size!" she snapped at the idiot.

Sirius lost his smirk, looking rather uncomfortable at her scolding.

The door to Professor Vector's class opened and everyone began to shuffle in.

"Hermione-" Sirius began

"Leave me alone, Black" she cut him off, storming away from him and in to her class.

 **}{—-}{—}{**

 **AN: No update next week, next chapter will be the week after. This is a slow burn but at least Sirius is now actively trying to get our girl. No teaser on tumblr, as I haven't written anything for the next chapter yet.**

 **El.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and contacted me on Tumblr or PM, hearing that people enjoy this story is so encouraging and wonderful to hear. If you have any questions pop on over to Tumblr and I'll be more than happy to discuss TOEG.**

 **El.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

November bought with it a dark chill that seemed to sweep over all of Britain, Hermione's letters from home consisted of grim news. Nicholas Haven, Petunia's sort of boyfriend had been shipped off to some sort of military boarding school for unruly teens, leaving Petunia devastated.

The Daily Prophet bought even darker news; Witches and Wizards were constantly disappearing without a trace.

Three particular names shook Hogwarts student body to its core.

 _Joey Anderson._

 _Sophia Morgen_

 _Macie Gorborg_

They'd all been seventh years a few months back and now they were missing and presumed dead.

A Ravenclaw

A Hufflepuff

A Gryffindor

And all Muggle Borns.

"She was Head Girl" Lily quietly whispered across the table. They were sat in the back of the library and although it was filled with students, the only sounds were of soft murmurs and the scratching of quill on parchment.

"I don't remember her" Hermione shook her head, a hard stone had settled in her stomach over the past few days and showed no signs of abating.

"She was nice" Lily sighed, her face ghostly pale.

Hermione was unsure of what to say, so simply stayed quiet, ideas shooting around quick as lightning in her head. Her watch was so close to completion, she'd devoted the past few weeks to it, practically living at the library.

She'd hit a run of luck and she was sure that she'd figured out how to breach the wards, how to anchor the Portkey however still remained an issue. She'd have to sort that first before she could begin testing her creation.

How was she suppose to create a connection that the Ministry or anyone else couldn't detect and trace?

She'd been working on a bastardised version of the Portkey spell adding a flight rune with an extra layer of untraceable charms but no matter what she did, the results weren't quite right.

"Hermione?"

She startled in place, brown eyes connecting with worried green.

"Sorry?" She shook her head, "I was miles away."

"I can see that" Lily worriedly frowned, her green eyes scanning Hermione's face "maybe you should go and lie down" she gently suggested.

"I'm fine" Hermione shrugged her off. She grabbed a piece of parchment off the table and pretended to read it.

"I don't understand why you study so much" Lily frowned "you spend more time in here than half of Hogwarts combined"

"It's OWLs year" Hermione smirked "that's what I'm suppose to be doing"

Lily's eyes turned soft "you could take the OWLs tomorrow and still come out with the best results this school has ever seen" she said. "Besides, you want to be in tip top shape for the duelling sessions"

Hermione frowned, memories clashing like waves upon rocks.

She remembered herself as a second year, stood besides Ron as Harry took on Draco in a duelling class.

She also remembered just this morning, when the common room was filled with chatter because of the announcement pinned to the notice board.

Until the end of term, all students were to participate in new duelling classes, a Ministry initiative meant to calm the fears of Hogwarts parents.

"It's only our first lesson tomorrow" she shrugged "I doubt we'll be doing anything too serious"

"It's Pennyweather" Lily grimaced "the man doesn't understand the word easy"

Professor Pennyweather was a far cry from their previous Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors, he was a brutal old man that had worked as an Auror when Grindelwald had been terrorising the world. A former Slytherin, the only bit of kindness he seemed to possess was only ever shown to his old House.

"True" Hermione sighed, "perhaps I should call it a night" she said, her eyes straying to the darkened windows.

With a tired huff, she rose from her seat and began to pack away her books, "are you coming?" she asked her sister.

Lily grimaced, darkly scanning the books in front of her "some of us actually need to study" she sighed

Hermione smirked, "I'll see you later then"

 **}{—}{—}{**

When she entered the common room, there were only a handful of people lurking around, they were all broken off into small groups, scattered around the room. She spotted Diana and Arlo sat by the fire and made her way over to the two.

"Hey" Arlo smiled at the sight of her.

Hermione returned the grin and sat down in the empty seat besides Diana, "where's Marlene?" she curiously asked, it was rather rare to see one without the other.

"Upstairs" Diana said "she's picking out her outfit for the Quidditch game this weekend"

"It's _four_ days away" Hermione said surprised, who needed four days to pick out some clothes?

Arlo rolled her eyes "she seems to think that clothes are the answers to her new problem" she smirked

"New problem?" Hermione questioned

"You" Diana tartly said, a dark look in her brown eyes.

"Me?" Hermione breathed out, eyes wide with surprise. "How in Merlin's beard am I a problem?" Hermione demanded

"Do you think that we're blind?" Diana scowled

"Diana" Arlo warned and the other witch fell silent. Arlo's hazel green eyes moved on to Hermione, softening at the sight of her. "It isn't _your_ fault" she started "but" she hesitated

"But?" Hermione urged her on.

"But, we've all noticed how Sirius is always around you" she sighed "how he's always trying to sit next you at dinner and offering to carry your books to class, he's always chasing after you" she frowned.

"Chasing?" Hermione scowled "you means stalks!" she glared

"Yes" Arlo quickly agreed "stalks is a much better…ehh…more accurate word"

"What difference does it make" Diana demanded " _you_ have Sirius' attention and Marlene doesn't, that makes you a problem"

Hermione frowned at the girl, taken aback by the situation. The last thing she ever wanted was the attention of that insufferable git. "Sirius Black is a complete berk, that I want nothing to do with" she made clear "Marlene is more than welcome to him" she snapped, rising up from her seat.

"Hermione" Arlo called after her but she ignored the girl and climbed up the stairs to her dorm.

When she entered the room, clothes were scattered all over the place with Marlene prancing about in front of the mirror.

The blond turned when the door opened and a frown formed on her face when she realised exactly who had entered.

Hermione thought of talking to her but she was in no mood to repeat herself and Marlene didn't look like she wanted a chat.

With a sigh, Hermione climbed into bed, firmly pulling the curtains around her.

 **}{—}{—}{**

When she arose that morning, an awkward, suffocating undercurrent hung in the air.

Lines had clearly been drawn in their dorm room, with Diana in Marlene's corner and Lily and Arlo firmly with Hermione.

Hermione silently got dressed, her snappish movements annoying Augustus who opened one eye to glare at her.

She rolled her eyes at the frog, this really wasn't the time to get into an argument with her pet.

Without a word, she exited the dorm, taking her book bag with her so that she didn't have to return after breakfast.

She'd barely taken two steps when Lily came after her.

"The nerve of those two" Lily scowled, falling into step with Hermione.

"I don't care" Hermione shrugged. The tension was rather bothersome but she didn't give two figs about Marlene or Diana.

"Well I do" Lily snapped

"Oy! Evans!"

Both girls turned to see James Potter, with his uniform askew hurrying towards them.

Lily huffed, her hand already on her wand as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm not in the mood for this Potter" Lily warned.

James' grin fell a little but he still persevered.

He stood tall, running a hand through his messy hair to make it even messier.

Hermione couldn't help how her mind always thought of another in his presence, one with even messier hair.

"I just wanted to let you know, that I was having a rather dreary morning but one look at you and my heart just soared" he beamed

Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing but the same couldn't be said for the other Gryffindors in the common room.

Lily went a dark shade of red, the anger clear in her green eyes, her grip tightened on her wand and lucky for Potter, Hermione chose to intervene.

"Not now Potter" she told the boy as she grabbed a hold of Lily's free hand and dragged her through the portrait hole.

"Honestly!" Lily fumed as they made their way down to breakfast "he is such a prat!"

"I know" Hermione instantly agreed.

"And a tosser!"

"Yep"

"Insufferable little git!"

"Couldn't agree more" Hermione smirked, trying to hold in a chuckle.

Lily turned on her, green eyes ablaze "are you _laughing_ at me?" she demanded

"A little bit" Hermione admitted

Lily rolled her eyes and continued walking down to the Great Hall.

"Why am I the unlucky twin?" she demanded

"Unlucky" Hermione snorted as they entered the Great Hall.

"Yes" Lily adamantly said, taking a seat halfway down the table, Hermione grabbed the empty seat across from her. "I get James sodding Potter with his cheesy lines and his stupid need for attention, whilst you get quiet, discreet Sirius Black"

Hermione chocked on her orange juice, spraying it all over her uniform and empty plate.

Lily smirked at her and waved her wand, the orange juice disappearing.

"You're joking!" Hermione demanded

"Yes" Lily giggled, "of course I'm joking, we're _both_ awfully unlucky"

"And why would that be?" said a familiar voice.

Benjy grabbed the seat besides Hermione, throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling her in to his side.

Hermione grinned up at him "because the Marauders have chosen to make us their next victims" she explained.

"Potter and Black" Benjy grinned, taking a bite out of a shiny green apple.

"Unfortunately" Lily huffed "you'd think after two years of hearing no, Potter would move on"

"The boy's clearly a little mad" Benjy smirked "especially if he wants to date you" his blue eyes gleamed.

Lily scowled at the boy, glaring at him "shouldn't you be at your own table" she demanded

Benjy snorted and began filling up his plate "after all the time I've spent at this table, I'm practically an honorary Gryffindor"

Lily rolled her eyes at him and opened her mouth to retort but before she could say anything, Arlo entered the hall, making her way down the Gryffindor table in search of them.

"Arlo!" Lily called out, waving her hand.

Arlo spotted them and made her over, her footsteps growing slower by the second as she realised exactly who was sat with Hermione and Lily.

By the time she made it to where they were seated, her honey coloured skin had turned an odd shade and her eyes were glued to the table as she took the empty seat besides Lily.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked

"Yep" Arlo squeaked, quickly filling up her plate.

Benjy sent Hermione a confused look but she ignored it, the last thing Arlo wanted was Benjy knowing that she was madly crushing on him.

"What time is your duelling class?" Hermione asked him, hoping to take the attention away from Arlo.

"This morning" Benjy answered with a frown, "I like Defence but Pennyweather's a complete bastard and he's running the sessions" he shook his head

"Defence is your best subject" Hermione smiled "Even if Pennyweather lets things go further than they should, you can handle yourself"

"I'm petty damn good with a wand" Benjy bragged "but it's the others that I'm worried about, especially with how everyone's gunning for the Slytherins"

Hermione frowned, her eyes straying to the Slytherin table, the past few weeks had left an odd divide in the school, Slytherin and Gryffindor had always been at odds but they'd been rather close with the Ravenclaws and cordial with the Hufflepuffs, with all the disappearances, their stood only one House that had been left unaffected - Slytherin.

That hadn't gone unnoticed and neither had the dark murmurings and gloats coming from the Slytherin students.

"Half of the Hufflepuff 6th years don't even take Defence as a Newt" Benjy shook his head.

"Surely they'll just concede?" Lily asked

Benjy snorted "Hufflepuffs are a proud House" he said "we'd rather be beaten fairly in a duel than concede defeat without even trying"

"I doubt Slytherins play fair" Arlo spoke up and three pair of eyes landed on her. She quickly ducked her head, finding her plate of eggs and toast far more interesting than they looked.

"So she can speak" Benjy grinned and Arlo's face grew hot at his remark.

"Stop teasing her" Hermione shook her head.

"I'm teasing more than just her" Benjy smirked

Hermione frowned up at him, confused.

Benjy nodded towards the other end of the Gryffindor table, Hermione followed his gaze to see a scowling Sirius Black and an annoyed James Potter staring back at them.

Hermione turned away as Benjy waved at them, his other arm still around Hermione's shoulder.

"Don't antagonise them" she pleaded, "I actually have to get through classes with him" she frowned.

"You're always spoiling my fun" Benjy smirked

"Then I suggest you find some fun that isn't at my expense" she grinned.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione had Charms and Potions that morning before reluctantly trudging down to the edge of the forest for Herbology.

She couldn't hide her misery as Lily all but dragged her through the Entrance Hall and down to the grounds.

"Professor Sprout isn't going to notice my absence" she pleaded

"You're not skipping Herbology" Lily firmly refused.

"It's pointless" Hermione huffed, she was so close to making a breakthrough on the watch, the last thing she needed was a dose of double Herbology classes to waste her time with.

"I don't care" Lily shrugged as they made it to the small crowd of Gryffindors and Slytherins by the edge of the forest.

The group of students were heatedly and rather loudly talking over each other, everyone desperate to tell some tale.

"What's going on?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"I haven't seen them this excited since Nancy Pivens was caught in the boy's toilets last year" Lily smirked

Hermione snorted at the memory, that had been quite the scandal.

Arlo popped up behind them with Marlene and Diana in tow, the two made a rather big show of walking away from the Evans twins.

"Have you heard!" Arlo demanded all but shaking with excitement.

"No" they simultaneously answered

"It's the duelling classes" Arlo grinned "they're brutal!" she said with a gleam in her eyes.

Hermione frowned at the girl "and you're excited about this because?" she asked

Arlo shook her head at her "the seventh and sixth years had their sessions this morning and they said that Pennyweather's making everyone duel, House against House" she hurriedly said "it's time to get some bloody justice against those snakes"

Hermione's frown deepened "no offence Arlo but you're not exactly the greatest with a wand"

Arlo grinned at her, "I'm not" she agreed "but out of the nine Gryffindors in our year, when it comes to Defence, _five_ of you are brilliant at it, there's no way Gryffindor House is losing"

Hermione and Lily shared a look, neither at ease with the remarks but before anything could be said, someone roughy pushed past the trio, smacking in to Hermione's shoulder.

"Whoops" laughed Tony Rosier, his beady brown eyes filled with glee "didn't see you there _Evans_ " he spat her name out like it was filth in his mouth.

Hermione's hand instinctively went to her wand, her fingers tightening on the wood in her pocket "perhaps next time you should watch where you're going" she advised "or you might find yourself in the hospital wing" she warned.

"Ohhh" Rosier laughed, his small group of Slytherin cohorts chuckling along, "I'm so scared of the little Muggle Born" he sneered

Arlo took a step forward, her sneer matching Rosier's "you should be" she scowled "Hermione has more magic in her Muggle Born little finger than you have in your entire Pureblood body"

The smirk slipped off of Rosier's face and he threateningly moved forward, Hermione stepped in front of Arlo but their wasn't much need, as every Gryffindor did the same thing, shoving each other back to protect one another.

That was how Sprout found them, Gryffindors on one side, Slytherins on the other.

"Class has begun" she called out, walking right through the tiny space between Rosier and Potter who stood at the head of both groups. "I expect you all to behave" she demanded, her tone leaving no room for any arguments.

Herbology was a strained affair, with both Houses staying as far away from each other as they could, Hermione didn't care but Lily did, her green eyes continuously landing on the dark Slytherin that kept to the back of his House.

Severus stood next to Avery the entire time, averting Lily's gaze.

"Pillock" Arlo snapped in his direction, Severus was too far to hear but Mulciber wasn't.

He shot them a glare and said "fucking Mudbloods" under his breath.

Arlo and Lily startled in place at the term but it held no meaning to Hermione, once upon a life, she'd had the words etched on her skin.

"And damn proud of it too" she quipped back at the boy.

Mulciber's glare darkened and he stalked off towards his friends.

Arlo's hands were shaking and Lily had turned a furious red, "I can't believe he said that" Arlo managed to say.

"You're a Half Blood" Hermione shrugged, the word wasn't meant to offend the likes of Arlo.

"So" Arlo demanded, rounding on Hermione "it's an awful, spiteful word" she fumed "we should report him for it"

"What's the point" Lily demanded, her gaze on Mulciber's group of friends or more accurately, the one boy lurking at the back - Severus. "That's what they all think we are" she frowned

"Lily" Arlo began, pity in her eyes but her voice died down, unsure of what to say.

"Forget it" Lily shrugged, her eyes unwavering from Severus.

Double Herbology went as slow as it possibly could, by the end, tensions between the Slytherin and Gryffindor 5th years was at an all time high.

They had a short break and the trio chose to sit out by the lake, a warming charm keeping the cold away.

Their afternoon lesson of History of Magic was disrupted for their new duelling sessions, whatever bravado had overtaken Arlo that morning had quickly vanished as they made their way inside the Great Hall.

The usual House tables had been removed in favour of one long duelling platform across the hall. The fifth years huddled around it, although there were clear house divides.

Professor Pennyweather stood atop the platform, he was an old man, even by wizarding standards. What little wisps of hair he had left were grey in colour, and although he was rather short he made up for his height by his mere presence, one look from him even put Hermione on edge.

"Welcome to your first ever duelling class" he said, he didn't raise his voice but his words carried across the Great Hall. "These classes will only run for a month, to some of you they'll be of great use to others" he sneered "I suggest you learn to duck"

Laughter resonated from the Slytherins and a few Ravenclaws but the rest of the Hall remained silent.

"For our first lesson, I would like to see exactly where you all stand when it comes to duelling" Pennyweather said, he flicked his wand and numbers appeared above the great doors, the numbers ranged from 1 to 42. "By the end of the session you will all be ranked based on your skill" Pennyweather said "the ranks will be changed at the end of every session to reflect the results"

Hermione's eyes scanned the room as a ripple of excitement and anxiety shot through it. Arlo looked slightly green and Peter looked ready to hurl.

She wasn't nervous, she'd survived a war in the worst conditions imaginable, it would take more than a little duelling class with some fifth years to make her nervous.

"You'll duel in pairs of two" Pennyweather explained "Dumont, Aubrey, get up here"

Levi Dumont and Bertram Aubrey, both Ravenclaws made their way up the platform. Hermione didn't know much about them except that Bertram excelled at his studies, always ranking second or third in their year and that Levi was Ravenclaws Quidditch Keeper.

A cheer came from the Ravenclaw section as the two stood upon the platform.

"Rosier, Snape" Pennyweather barked and the gathered Slytherins applauded as the two made their up the platform.

The two groups stood across from each other with Pennyweather in the middle "All spells, jinxes and charms that don't send you off to Azkaban are permitted" he announced "If you are disarmed that will count as a defeat, if you fall off the platform that will also be counted as a defeat, you may concede a match but it will be your loss" he said darkly.

The four boys glared at each other from across the platform, their Houses loudly cheering them on.

"To the centre" Pennyweather demanded "back to back, hurry up now"

The four slowly got into position.

Pennyweather removed himself from the platform "on the count of three" he called out.

Rosier smirked and Hermione remembered seeing the same exact look on another boy.

A boy that hadn't waited until the count of three to attack.

" _Scared Potter?" Draco had demanded_

" _You wish" Harry had fired back._

"1" Pennyweather called out

"2" he barked

"Filpendo" Rosier roared, his jinx hitting Bertram in the back, the boy had no chance as he collapsed to the ground.

A displeased cry erupted from the Ravenclaws but a dark look from Pennyweather shut them up.

"Expelliarmus" Severus shot and Bertram's wand soared through the air and into his hands.

"Bombarda" Rosier threw at Levi but he was ready, his shield going up just in time.

"Baubillious" Levi shot back but he was once again on the defensive as Rosier sent a nasty looking hex his way.

Snape dodged Levi's spell and with Bertram down, it didn't take long for the two Slytherins to gang up on Levi.

Their was no way he would win but Levi put up a hell of a fight before, an Expulso charm had him soaring through the air, landing with a rather hard thud on the ground.

Deafening noise came at once from every angle of the Hall.

Laughter from the Slytherins.

Angry jeers from the Ravenclaws.

Displeasure from the Hufflepuffs.

And cries of "Cheats" led by James Potter and Sirius Black from the Gryffindors.

Pennyweather climbed back up the platform and all noise ceased at once.

"The winners" he said, glaring at the gathered students "are Rosier and Snape"

The Slytherins broke out into applause, ignoring the glares being sent their way.

"Although next time, I would suggest waiting until I am finished counting" Pennyweather growled

Rosier smirked as he climbed down and triumphantly made his way over to his House.

Pennyweather waved his wand and the rankings shifted, names appeared besides spots 1 to 4.

 _1 - Tony Rosier_

 _2 - Severus Snape_

 _3 - Levi Dumont_

 _4- Bertram Aubrey_

"Next contest" Pennyweather said, his eyes scanning through the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors.

"Macdonald and Mason" Pennyweather called out.

Hufflepuff's Mary Macdonald and Cole Mason climbed up the platform.

Pennyweather's eyes scanned the Gryffindors, "Black" he barked "and" his eyes landed on Hermione "Evans" he announced.

Sirius cheered and high-fived as many students as he could as he made his way up the platform, Hermione quietly followed.

They stood side by side as Pennyweather went over the rules again.

"Don't end it too quickly" Sirius quietly warned her

"Why not?" she frowned up at him.

Sirius inclined his head towards the rankings "I can't get the top spot off those snakes if we end this too quickly"

Hermione rolled her eyes but agreed nonetheless.

"To the centre" Pennyweather barked.

The four made their way over to the centre, standing back to back.

Hermione felt Sirius tense beside her and knew exactly what he was thinking.

Would the Hufflepuffs behave as the Slytherins had and attack them with their backs turned?

Hermione wandlessly put up a small shield between them and the Hufflepuffs, they'd most likely behave honourably but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"1" Pennyweather called.

"2" he said and Hermione's grip on her wand tightened.

"3" Pennyweather barked.

"Protego" Hermione said, whipping her wand in a circular formation quicker than most people could see, two spells were instantly deflected off it and then simultaneously Hermione and Sirius fired back.

"Furnunculus" Sirius cried out

"Locomotor Wibbly" Hermione shot back.

Both Hufflepuffs put up shields and whilst Sirus' spell deflected harmlessly off of Macdonald's, the strength behind Hermione's saw it slip through Cole's shield with ease and smack him square in the chest.

He instantly collapsed onto the platform.

Murmurs broke out across the Hall, Hermione didn't take her eyes off of her competitors but she could feel numerous gazes on her.

Mary hesitated for a moment and the Gryffindors allowed her a chance to breath. After a moments pause, she positioned herself in front of Cole, who slowly climbed back to his feet.

Sirius wasted no time, shooting a stinging hex and a jelly-legs curse, Hermione stayed back acting as his shield, Cole soon became frustrated with every spell failing to hit its target and tried to get her attention, shooting a Reducto at her so that her shield around Sirius would collapse in favour of protecting herself but it hardly took any effort to put up two shields at once.

Cole kept at it but no matter what he threw at her, her shields remained. Hermione quickly grew bored, Sirius was having far to much fun with Mary Macdonald, he'd shot more than a dozen spells at her, surely that was enough to knock off Rosier and Snape?

With a roll of her eyes, Hermione lowered her shield.

"Incarcerous" She cried out, with two lightning quick flicks of her wand, Cole and Mary were wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

Unlike with Levi's defeat, their was no sudden eruption of noise.

It was just silent.

It was an exact replica of the stunned silence Harry had received after using his Parseltongue ability or when his name had been called during the Trwizard tournament or when Voldemort had displayed his dead body to the battle weary fighters of Hogwarts.

Hermione's eyes scanned the room, a mixture of emotions looked back at her.

Anger from the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs.

Fear from most of the student body.

Pride from Lily, Arlo and Peter.

She'd never downplayed her abilities, never hid her talents or shied away from conflict but then she supposed that no one really knew the true scope of her abilities.

"The winners!" Pennyweatehr suddenly announced, taking his position atop the platform "are Black and Evans!"

Sparse applause broke out from the gathered crowd but Gryffindor House more than made up for it with their exuberant cheers.

"Well done!" Lily hugged her when she'd made her way over.

"I knew you could do it!" Arlo cheered

"That was brilliant Padfoot" James grinned, patting his friend on the back.

"Look!" Peter cried

As one every head turned to where Peter was pointing - up at the rankings.

They were different now, it wasn't Rosier that held the top spot anymore.

It was Hermione.

 _1 - Hermione Evans_

 _2 - Sirius Black_

 _3 - Tony Rosier_

 _4 - Severus Snape_

 _5 - Levi Dumont_

 _6 - Mary Macdonald_

 _7- Cole Mason_

 _8- Bertram Aubrey_

Hermione felt heated eyes on her and turned to see Tony Rosier glaring at her from across the Hall.

She grinned and turned back to her friends.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **AN: I** **'** **ve been receiving a lot of constructive criticism which I really appreciate, it helps me get better as a writer. The biggest issue I seem to have is grammar and spelling, I want to make this story as perfect as I can get it,** **so I** **'** **m now looking for a Beta, with Thursday deadlines, this will be a weekly commitment for the foreseeable future, I post chapters as I write them, so honestly, the Beta will most likely only receive the chapter on a Tuesday/Wednesday, so only a maximum of 48 hours, If your up for it, let me know.**

 **What's Your House: A reviewer mentioned that they were a Ravenclaw, which got me curious, what House are you guys in? I'm a proud Hufflepuff.**

 **El.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Final House scores are in: 6 Slytherins, 3 Ravenclaws, 4 Hufflepuffs and 1 Gryffindor.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

A 1970's Hogwarts education had never really bothered Hermione, it was slightly easier than her 1990's education but Hermione had never truly realised the gap, until now.

The duelling level of her year group was nowhere near the standards of the kids who'd signed up to Dumbledore's Army.

They lacked their talent, their strength and their resilience.

Florence Mulberry conceded after a simple trip jinx had her sprawled out across the platform.

Monty Karinski was beaten by a mere stupefy.

Phillip Smith lost to an impediment curse.

And now Arlo was getting destroyed by Selina Yaxley, whilst Marlene had her hands full with Olivia Travers.

"Quicker!" James bellowed but she doubted that either of them could hear him above the noise of the other students.

The duelling class hadn't gone exactly as Arlo had hoped it would.

Instead of getting some form of misguided justice against them, Slytherin House had crushed their opponents.

They were quick and brutal, using spells and jinxes that bought dark memories to the surface.

Mulciber cut down his opponent in less than a minute.

Avery toyed with his opponent before throwing them off the platform.

Yaxley and Travers worked as a team, ripping through Marlene's defences and then hitting hard. It was only Marlene's skill with a wand that kept the two Gryffindor girls from losing.

"Tarantallegra!" Yaxley's jinx shot past Marlene and straight at Arlo, hitting her square in the chest.

Arlo's legs went wild, kicking up left and right, shuffling back and forth, her limbs out of her control.

The Slytherins burst into rambunctious laughter as groans of displeasure and defeat shot through the rest of the hall.

So far no one had defeated the Slytherins. Pennyweather seemed to intentionally pair up the strongest from the other Houses to compete against each other, whilst giving his former House the weakest to go up against.

"Dirty cheat" Peter grumbled, glaring at Pennyweather.

"Aren't they all" Sirius agreed. "Nothing but cowards, the lot of them"

"Cowards that can duel" Hermione frowned at him. The display of duelling ability had to a small degree upset her, although the Slytherins were just kids now, one day they would all be at Voldemort's side, using their talent to kill her kind.

And whilst Voldemort would have a House of talent at his disposal, the other side had very little in terms of ability.

No wonder they'd needed a baby to save them in the end.

Sirius glared at her, his grey eyes hot with fury. He'd been tense throughout the whole hour, letting his emotions get the better of him as the Slytherins won duel after duel.

"I hardly call a few spells against inferior opponents duelling" he sneered, his jaw tight.

Hermione didn't back down, glaring back at him "call it what you like" she shrugged, "they're the only House that's remained undefeated" she said.

Sirius' eyes darkened, a growl escaping his lips but before he could do anything, James' hand wrapped around his arm, jerking him backwards and away from Hermione, although he didn't look too pleased, Sirius let James drag him away until they were out of earshot.

"Stupefy!"

Hermione turned back just in time to see Arlo stiffen and fall over.

"Shit!" Peter frowned.

The Slytherins wasted no time in going after Marlene, who put up an admirable fight but in the end, fell to their wands.

"The winners" Pennyweather declared "are Yaxley and Travers" the two Slytherin girls returned triumphantly to their House, whilst Marlene and Arlo sourly trudged down to their own Housemates, rubbing at their sore muscles.

"You tried your best" Remus placatingly said.

Marlene glared at Arlo but the girl was too busy moping at the ground to notice.

"That brings us to the end of your first duelling session" Pennyweather said, staring down at them all, his gaze lingering slightly longer on Hermione.

With a wave of his wand, the rankings changed, with all 42 slots now filled.

Hermione's eyes scanned over the top ten and her heart sank at the sight.

 _1 - Hermione Evans_

 _2 - Sirius Black_

 _3 - Tony Rosier_

 _4 - Tiberius Mulciber_

 _5 - Jonathan Avery_

 _6 - James Potter_

 _7 - Selina Yaxley_

 _8 - Lily Evans_

 _9 - Olivia Travers_

 _10 - Severus Snape_

Six Slytherins sat amongst the top ten and then rest of their House were all within the top twenty.

"For those of you in the bottom twenty" Pennyweather barked "I suggest that you re-evaluate your lack of skills" he growled, numerous students inched away from the platform and averted his gaze.

"Dismissed!" he all but yelled and then it was a scramble to get out, everyone desperate to leave.

Hermione ignored the wary looks being sent her way as she made it out of the hall.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked, when she didn't follow the crowd towards the Entrance Hall.

"Library" Hermione yelled back, never once slowing her stride.

She needed to work on her watch, she was counting on her inventions to win an entire war, Merlin knew that magical talent alone wouldn't suffice.

Hermione found a table right at the back of the Library, by the goblin section.

She reached into her bag and took out a much smaller bag, with a tap of her wand, it regrew to its original size and with a wave, all the enchantments gave way. She doubted that even Dumbledore could open it without her permission.

Hermione carefully placed everything on the table, to most people it would just look like runes and strange words on parchment but it was the key to everything.

She grabbed her latest parchment, it was a set of intricate calculations that explained exactly how she would breach the wards, it didn't bring down the wards as that would take far too long, instead it tricked it, creating a space for her to safely slip through via Portkey, the issue was that she couldn't do it safely or without being detected.

She also couldn't anchor it, but she was pushing that problem to the side for the minute.

First, she had to work on detection, with a sigh, Hermione threw herself into it.

As she worked, Hermione gave the time little consideration, working right through dinner and into the late evening.

It was only when the chair next to her was loudly pushed back that she raised her head and frowned.

Sirius Black sat down besides her, his hair looked more put together than usual, each strand seemed to have been excessively combed but his uniform was as messy as always.

"What do you want?" she frowned.

"A date" Sirius answered, a large grin on his face.

Hermione's frown deepened, she chose to ignore him, opting to sort through her notes, with Black around, there was no chance of continuing her work in peace.

"Fine, fine" Sirius smirked, "I'll settle for your company instead"

Hermione gathered her notes in a large pile but before she could put them in her bag, a small bouquet of red roses landed atop them.

She finally looked at Sirius, he was leaning closer than she'd realised, a determined glint in his grey eyes.

With a sigh, Hermione pushed the roses off of her work and carefully placed the pile in her bag .

"Next time" she said in a clipped tone "could you refrain from desecrating my work?"

"Desecrating?" Sirius breathed, surprised. "Most girls like roses" he grumbled

"How many girls do you actually know?" Hermione questioned "we're individuals Black, with our own preferences"

"So you don't like roses in general?" Sirius asked "or you don't like roses from me?

"Both" Hermione smiled.

A slow smile graced Sirius' face and he leaned in even closer "so what sort of flowers do you like?" he asked.

Hermione frowned at him, confused, not just by the flowers but his behaviour over the last few weeks. "Why are you doing this?" she questioned.

Sirius smile wavered before broadening "because I want a date" he said confidently

"Why?" she insisted

"Because I like you" he instantly replied, like it was stupid to even ask.

"Why?"

"What?" Sirius asked, the confusion clear in his eyes.

"Is this some creepy doppelgänger thing you think you need to fulfil?" she enquired but Sirius just looked even more confused. "James chases after Lily, so you chase after the other Evans twin?"

Sirius balked at her, "Merlins beard, how sad do you think I am?" he demanded, his face growing red with anger.

Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.

"My life doesn't revolve around James" he scowled, his eyes darkening.

"Than why do you like me?" she demanded

He ran his hand through his hair and breathed out a sigh, "because I just do" he shrugged "I like how you look" he smirked as his eyes raked over her body "I like how you seem to know everything about everything, I like how you live off of sugar quills because you're always skipping dinner and how you get all snappish when you don't want to be bothered, I like how you roll your eyes, see, there, just like that, I like it when you do that" he grinned "I can write you a list if you want, It'll probably be about five feet long"

Hermione frowned at him, the idea was as odd as the first time she'd realised it.

Sirius Black _liked_ her.

In a romantic way.

The thought was too jarring for her mind to comprehend.

"So is your continuous rejection of me a creepy twin thing?" Sirius asked, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"What?" Hermione questioned, confused.

Sirius leaned back, "Lily turns down James, so you turn me down"

Hermione snorted at him "don't be so ridiculous"

"Then why won't you go out with me?" He implored

"Maybe I'm just not attracted to you?" She smirked

Sirius snorted at that, an arrogant look on his face "everyone's attracted to me" he grinned.

Hermione rolled her eyes and Sirius' grin widened.

"Give me a real answer and I'll leave you alone" he promised.

"Forever?" She said hopefully.

"For tonight" Sirius frowned

"For the rest of the year" she demanded

"For a day" Sirius offered, his lips turning up at the corners, he was clearly amused.

"A month" she bargained

"For the rest of the week" Sirius sighed, "take it or leave it Evans" he held his hands up.

"Fine" Hermione sighed, "you've got a deal"

Sirius triumphantly grinned at her "so why won't you give me chance?"

"Because you're mean" Hermione easily said. Sirius frowned at her but she continued before he could interrupt, "you hex and jinx anyone in sight without any consideration, and yes to you it may be fun but to others, it really isn't" her mind went to Severus, who dealt with so much at home, only to be tormented at school. "You're inconsiderate, you do what you want, when you want without a care for anyone else and you're really very childish" she summarised "also your pranks aren't that funny, they're rather awful actually"

Sirius' frown had only grown as she'd spoken, an unrecognisable look in his eyes. He was silent for a moment before finally speaking up "I asked for honesty I suppose" he grimaced

They shared an awkward look and Hermione was unsure of exactly what to say next but Sirius simply pushed back his chair and rose from his seat.

"I'll talk to you on Monday Evans" he said, his eyes on her but his mind miles away.

"Yeah" Hermione lamely replied as he walked away, "sure."

 **}{ — }{ — }{**

Sirius kept his promise, completely ignoring her for the following few days.

A fact that had Marlene soaring with happiness on a rather dull Saturday morning.

"Does this look alright?" She demanded, turning away from the mirror so that they could all get a look at her fancy hairstyle.

"It's raining" Hermione remarked, putting her red beanie on top of her head.

"It's charmed to stay dry" Marlene replied cooly, her lips pursed.

"It looks lovely" Lily said, throwing Hermione a look that said, don't do anything to antagonise the blonde.

Hermione rolled her eyes and finished getting dressed. Things hadn't improved much in their dorm but at least Marlene was now speaking to her, she'd even sat next to her at breakfast.

"Come on!" Arlo excitedly said, "I want to get a good seat for the game"

Hermione frowned, her eyes straying to the window, the sky was a dark grey and light rain gently hit the window.

"Do I have to go?" She quietly asked Lily.

She'd planned to spend the day in the library, she'd cracked her detection issue and she'd figured out a way to breach the wards, she just wasn't sure exactly how safe it was.

All that was left was anchoring it.

"Yes" Lily sighed at her "this is a great way to get things back to normal" she said "some bonding time with your dorm mates"

Hermione couldn't think of anything worse.

"Besides, you've practically lived at the library this week" Lily frowned "so yes, this Quidditch game is compulsory" she insisted, pushing Hermione towards the door.

Hermione's frown deepened the more steps she took and only lifted when she caught sight of Benjy decked out in Gryffindor red.

"Over here!" She yelled, waving her hands to get his attention.

Benjy spotted her amongst the crowd and made his way up the stands, it was only when he reached her that she realised, he wasn't alone.

"Budge up" she told Arlo, who'd all but frozen at the sight of Benjy.

She snapped out of it, her face flushing red and she quickly shuffled down the bench.

Benjy and his friend made their way over and Hermione rose out of her seat to greet them "red suits you" she grinned at her friend.

Benjy smiled back at her "yellow suits me more" he said and then moved aside so that she could get a better look at his friend, "Hermione, this is Levi" Benjy introduced.

Hermione instantly recognised him, it was Levi Dumont the wizard that had gone up against Rosier and Snape in the duelling class.

"We know each other" Levi grinned, he was tall with broad shoulders, tan skin, a head of light brown hair and eyes to match, unlike Benjy, he was dressed in Ravenclaw blue.

"We do?" Hermione frowned, unsure of when she'd spoken to the boy.

"Sort of" Levi sheepishly smiled and she noticed a set of dimples on his cheeks. "We're in the same year" he explained "and everyone knows Hermione" he told Benjy.

Benjy grinned at her, pride radiating off of him, "that's my Hermione" he said, ruffling her hair through the beanie she had on.

Hermione smacked his hand away, scowling at her friend "why don't we sit" she grumbled, Benjy moved to sit next to her, but she grabbed his arm, forcefully pushing him past her, "sit on this side" she sweetly smiled.

Benjy frowned at her but did as he was told and sat on Hermione's right, between her and Arlo, leaving Hermione to sit between Benjy and Levi.

Awkwardness hung heavy in the air but it was a small price to pay if Arlo would just buck up and speak to Benjy.

The rain had thankfully stopped and a warming charm ensured that she would stay dry and warm throughout the game.

The crowd burst into cheers as the two teams made their way out on to the pitch, Hermione couldn't see their faces from so high up but she could certainly feel their dislike towards each other.

"As a spectator, this is always my favourite game to watch" Levi suddenly spoke.

"Oh" Hermione turned away from the Quidditch field to look at him "why?" she asked

"The players completely lose their heads" he grinned "tactics fly out the window and it comes down to brute force and talent" he said

"Isn't that like every other game?" Hermione questioned, Quidditch just seemed like a bunch of players trying to hit each other off their brooms.

"Not a Quidditch fan are you?" Levi smirked

"Is it that easy to tell?" Hermione asked.

"The frown on your face kind of gave it away"

Hermione chuckled and grinned "sorry, I don't mean to be a spoilsport"

"You're not" Levi smiled "and no, that isn't every game" he answered, "We Ravenclaws stick to our tactics and we have plans for all possibilities, we don't let the pressure get to us whereas the Hufflepuffs are a defensive team, they shut their opponents out and then rely on their seeker"

"Right" Hermione said

"And you don't care at all do you" Levi laughed

"I care" Hermione lied, he gave her a look, "okay, I don't care" she admitted and he laughed at her.

"Goal, Potter!" yelled the announcer "10 points to Gryffindor!" and the stands erupted into cheers, Hermione went along with the crowd, as James potter flew over their heads.

"What do you care about?"

Hermione's attention was once again off the game and onto Levi instead "not much" Hermione shrugged, "I'm pretty boring"

"No one that can duel like you is boring" Levi said, a glint in his eyes.

"It was nothing" Hermione brushed off his praise.

"Nothing?" Levi frowned, "half the school thinks that you're Morgana reincarnated" he told her

Hermione's eyes widened, most of the school had been giving her a wide birth but that wasn't anything unusual.

"And what do the other half think?" She questioned

"That you're a great duellist" Levi grinned at her.

"Thanks" Hermione awkwardly said "you were really good as well, you may have won if it wasn't for that sneak attack

Levi frowned, scowling in the direction of the Slytherins, "yeah, maybe" he shrugged, his eyes returning to her.

Their was a sudden commotion just behind her, Hermione turned just in time to see Peter almost toppling on to her. It was only Remus grabbing him from the back that stopped the collision.

"Sorry" Peter quickly said, his face growing red as he straightened up, the Gryffindors on either side of him loudly complained but they fell silent as Sirius shoved them aside to make enough room for the three of them to sit behind her.

"What are you doing?" Hermione frowned at Peter.

Peters eyes widened in embarrassment "we wanted a better view" he blurted.

"So you just shoved everyone out of the way?" She darkly questioned, her eyes going to the embarrassed Peter and Remus before landing on an annoyed Sirius, who was glaring at the field, refusing to look at her.

"It wasn't my idea" Peter squeaked

"You still did it" Hermione huffed, turning away from him.

The game was going rather well, Gryffindor led by thirty points but in the end it would come down to whomever grabbed the snitch first.

"So" Peter loudly said, leaning his head down between her and Levi "where's Lily?"

Hermione inched away from her friend "with Severus" she answered, still annoyed at him.

Peters eyes widened in surprise "she's supporting the Slytherins!" he demanded "against her own House!" he balked, even Levi seemed taken aback.

"She doesn't care about Quidditch" Hermione firmly said, defending her sister. What Lily cared about was her friendship with Severus.

Peter shook his head in dismay, "Prongs isn't going to like this" he quietly whispered to Remus.

"The Snitch!" the announcer cried and every head turned in search of the seekers.

"Over there!" Benjy pointed towards the Slytherin stands and Hermione watched as Gryffindors seeker just about beat Slytherins, swiping the snitch out of the air and proudly holding it aloft.

The stands burst into cheers and applause, everyone jumping to their feet.

Hermione was just glad that it was over.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The celebrations in Gryffindor tower were loud and rambunctious, the Marauders had snuck down to the kitchens and had bought back a ton of food and drinks.

"It's worth the detention!" James gleefully yelled as a crowd of Gryffindors engulfed the table of food.

Hermione's eyes strayed from James to Lily, unlike the rest of their House, her sister was sad. Lily was sat in the chair, her hand mindlessly tapping against the table, her green eyes on the night sky.

Hermione could only assume that things hadn't gone as well as Lily had hoped but as she refused to speak about it, Hermione couldn't be sure.

"This is the part that you snap prat or moron and I emphatically agree" Hermione joked

Lily startled, almost surprised to see Hermione sitting next to her.

"Sorry?" she questioned.

Hermione inclined her head towards James who was stood on one of the tables, still fully dressed in his Quidditch gear and making a fool of himself.

"Oh" Lily breathed, "Potter's the last thing on my mind" she frowned

"Want to talk about it?" Hermione asked

"I just don't get it" Lily sighed "Sev and I were like two peas in a pod and now…" she quietly trailed off.

Hermione hummed in agreement, but her mind was elsewhere, the gears furiously turning as an idea struck her.

Two peas in a pod?

Two peas?

"That's it" Hermione breathed as a solution for her anchoring problem hit her, "of course" she shook her head, excitedly rising from her chair.

Lily frowned at her, "where are you going?" she demanded.

"Cover for me" Hermione implored

"It's past curfew" Lily scolded "and I'm a Prefect!"

"I'll make it up to you" she promised and then quickly walked off, pushing her way past the Gryffindors and through the portrait hole.

She carefully made her way to the seventh floor, using every hidden corridor available to her until she made it safely to the seventh floor, where she stood in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet.

Hermione paced three times and a door suddenly appeared.

As it had been doing for the past five years the room of requirement provided her with a laboratory of sorts.

Their was a cauldron station to the left, a table with chairs around it by the windows and to the right were shelves filled with her watches.

Hermione placed her bag on the table and took out the watch that she always carried with her, she hurried over to the shelves and grabbed another.

Two peas in a pod or in this case two watches.

She'd connect the watches, one acting as the anchor for the other. One watch would be strapped on someone's wrist and the other would be placed in a safe house, it was easy to move if needed and difficult to detect.

How had she not thought of it sooner? She berated herself

With an eager smile, Hermione got to work.

She ended up getting back to the dorm in the early hours of the morning, as it was Sunday the next morning she'd hoped that she could sleep in but her dorm mates had other plans.

Hermione shoved Gus off of her pillow as she tried to block out the noise in the room but her curtains were forcefully pulled aside and a far too jubilant Arlo peered down at her.

"Get up Hermione!" She smiled, tugging Hermione's pillow away, "I have so much to tell you!"

"About what?" Hermione grumbled

"About Benjy of course!" Arlo beamed, "I love you! Love, love, love!"

"If you love me, please go away" she tried but Arlo wasn't budging

"Ten minutes, if you're not up by then, I'm dragging you out" she promised

Hermione grumbled under her breath but with a heavy sigh rose up from her bed.

Lily was fully dressed, reading a book on her bed and Diana and Marlene were excitedly chatting away on Diana's bed.

"He sat next to me!" Marlene squealed "and he shared some of his Firewhisky"

"They snuck in Firewhisky?" Diana said in surprise

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone!" Marlene beamed

"What in Merlin's beard are they on about?" Hermione asked Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes at the two, "Sirius finally realised that Marlene exists"

"Oh" Hermione said in surprise "that's brilliant" she grinned a moment later.

Lily snorted at her, "go and get dressed" she demanded

"Yes, Mum" Hermione smiled, dodging out of the way of Lily's kick. With a laugh, she made her way into the bathroom.

Hermione followed behind the other girls as they made their way down into the common room.

Their dorm room breakfast instantly went out of the window as Marlene spotted Sirius and slinked away from them.

"Oh, blimey" Arlo huffed, "Diana go and drag her away" she said

Diana shook her head, "I'm not interrupting her and you shouldn't either, she'll jinx you in a heartbeat"

"Hey, Hermione"

She turned to see Peter walking off the steps that led up to the boys dorms.

"Peter" she grinned, it had been a while since she'd spent some time with Peter outside of their tutoring sessions. "Do you want to walk down to breakfast together?" she asked

"I was suppose to go down with Sirius" Peter said

"He's currently indisposed" Hermione grinned, inclining her head towards Marlene and Sirius. Marlene had a hold of his arm and he seemed to be trying to get it back.

Peter barked out a laugh "serves him right" he laughed, "he was so drunk last night, poor Remus had to hold his hair back as he threw up" Peter grimaced.

"Alcohol is prohibited at Hogwarts" Hermione sighed

"It wasn't-"

"You, I know" Hermione cut him off "but I wish you'd be more assertive with those friends of yours" she said

Peter frowned, a guilty look in his eyes.

"Nevermind" Hermione sighed, "let's go"

Their dorm room breakfast in the end turned into a fifth year breakfast, Hermione was sat between Peter and Lily, who had Arlo on the other side and then Remus, whilst across from them was Diana with a beaming Marlene, who was sat next to an irate Sirius and a sulking James Potter.

Conversation was awkward and stilted, so much so that Hermione was relieved when hundreds of Owls swooped through the open windows, breaking the tension.

Although neither Lily or Hermione owned an Owl, they regularly used the Hogwarts Owls to send and receive letters from home, Lily also subscribed to the Daily Prophet.

So it wasn't unusual when a brown Owl landed in front of Lily, a copy of the Daily Prophet tied to its legs.

What was unusual was the silence that quickly filled the Hall and Lily's gasp as she unfurled the Prophet.

Hermione wasn't sure what she was expecting to see but it certainly wasn't what was staring back at her.

The fork in her hand clattered onto her plate and her heart hammered as she snatched the newspaper from Lily, a cold spread up her spine as she got a closer look at the picture on the front cover of the Prophet.

It was of a street, the houses utterly destroyed and blazing high above everything, above all the carnage and destruction - was a skull with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.

 _The Dark Mark._

Her chest tightened, a hard pressure making it difficult to breath but it wasn't until she started reading the article that her hands began to shake.

 _Aurors were alerted to an unusual occurrence last night. An attack on a quiet muggle street on the outskirts of London. The only clue left behind was a strange insignia in the sky. Although six muggles were killed in the attack, the Ministry has assured us that their is no need to panic, that the attack was from an opportunistic Witch or Wizard and that the muggles concerned had no connection to Britain's Wizarding community._

 _From our own research, we have come to a similar conclusion, the muggles, were of different ages and backgrounds, with no connection to one another, except that of neighbours._

 _Selma Carmichael, was an elderly woman who lived with her three cats._

 _The Thompson family, Eva, Malcolm and their son Joey owned a bakery at the edge of the road._

 _And the Grangers, Cecilia and Landon Granger, a newly wed couple who are what muggles refer to as dentists._

 **}{—-}{—-}{**


	9. Chapter 9

_I was floored by the reaction I received last chapter, I passed the 100 review mark, so thank you all so much for that. This is by far my longest chapter._

 _Also shout out to Darkly+dreaming, who figured out what I was doing by killing off the Grangers. I thought I was being so slick and cool and secretive, but I guess not._

 _El_

 **}{—}{—}{**

 _And the Grangers, Cecilia and Landon Granger, a newly wed couple who are what muggles refer to as dentists._

Hermione read it again and again, her mind refusing to register the information as her heart broke.

There was just no way, they couldn't be dead - not those two.

"Hermione?"

Her eyes snapped up to see worried emerald green staring back at her.

"You're shaking" Lily frowned, reaching out an arm to touch her.

Hermione looked down at her hands, her steady, assured hands were indeed shaking.

Devastation racked through her - not them, anyone but them.

She rose to her feet, "I have to go" she breathed, barely registering the looks being sent her way as she began a brisk pace down the Hall.

"Hermione!" Lily yelled after her but Hermione's pace didn't falter.

She walked thought the Great Hall and up several fights of stairs until she was safely in the room of requirement.

She noticed that her hands had stopped shaking but the pain stabbing through her chest was overwhelming.

With a breath, she leaned back again the door, refusing to buckle under the pressure.

Emotions, strong emotions were foreign to her body, her life but not her soul.

Her soul had lived through a thousand heartaches and had made it through the other side, bandaged and bruised but still intact.

She'd erected a barrier over the last fifteen years, there was no way she'd ever go through that again, even with those she claimed to love in this life like Benjy and Lily.

There was a deep and cavernous wall between them.

They didn't know her not like Ron and Harry or even Neville did, they never saw the other Hermione, the damaged version of herself that she kept under lock and key, no one did.

"Don't cry" she voice aloud, "don't you dare cry" she demanded of herself

She hadn't cried in this life, not once and she'd be damned if she started now.

Not even for them.

Cecilia and Landon Granger. The last time she'd laid eyes on them, Hermione had altered their memories and shipped them off to Australia to live as Wendell and Monica Wilkins.

But that wasn't suppose to be the last time.

Her choice to go back, to alter history was suppose to make things better for everyone. They were suppose to open their own business, have a daughter that they adored above all others and then ship her off to school where she would live out a boring magical life, without any three headed dogs or murdering basilisks.

Luna's last word rushed to the forefront of her mind, bitter and unwelcome _"this is too dangerous, there's a reason why people shouldn't mess around with time and space"_

"Fuck" Hermione groaned, her heart furiously hammering against her chest as all of McGonagalls warnings from third year rang in her ear.

But why them? Why that road?

"Think logically" she reasoned with herself.

Time wasn't a straight line, it bended and looped and criss crossed but everything, everything had a cause, a trigger, a trigger that hadn't been around in the original timeline.

The breath was knocked out of her as she realised that the only difference this time around - was her.

But what did she do to get her parents killed? How had her presence changed their future? Time wasn't a vengeance seeking sentient being, it wouldn't kill the Grangers because Hermione had managed to slip through its grasp.

For reasons that remained unclear to her, something somewhere had convinced Voldemort to go down that particular street and take their lives.

With a frustrated sigh Hermione moved away from the door and began pacing, up and down, again and again.

Walking helped, it kept the tsunami in her heart at bay, stopped it from crashing against her walls.

This wasn't the time to start breaking down, war was no longer on the horizon, it was at her damn door.

Her eyes slid to the watches on the shelves, she wouldn't lose, she promised herself, not this time.

 **}{—}{—}{**

She skipped the rest of breakfast but managed to make it just in time for Potions, slipping into the empty seat besides Lily before Professor Slughorn entered the room.

The class was unusually silent and the regular gap in the tables between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins they shared the class with was larger than normal, a clear divide between the two Houses.

"Settle down" Slughorn unnecessarily called out, his eyes uncomfortably scanning the room but he seemed at a loss as to what to say.

"Where were you?" Lily whispered, her green eyes filled with worry.

"Library" Hermione curtly lied, turning her attention to Slughorn.

"Turn to page 137" Slughorn demanded, his usual cheery demeanour missing. His skin looked oddly pale and as the class delved into the Invigoration Draught, it became clear that his patience had also fled.

"Mr Pettigrew!" Slughorn snapped as the potion Peter and James were working on turned a dark shade of red. "Detention!"

"But-" Peter began

"Do you want to make it more than a single evening!" Slughorn cut him off

"No, Professor" Peter shook his head and the Slytherins burst into chuckles and laughter but a look from Slughorn had them quiet once more.

The class couldn't have been more relived when the bell rang across Hogwarts, signifying the end of class.

"What in Merlin's beard was the matter with him!" Arlo demanded as soon as they were far enough away from Slughorn's class.

"Perhaps it was this mornings attack?" Lily shrugged, her eyes landed on Hermione "it seems to have shaken a lot of people"

Hermione avoided her gaze as they made their way out of the dungeons, she wouldn't think of it, she wouldn't think of _them_.

Arlo frowned "Slughorn's never cared about Muggles, I doubt he'd lose any sleep over the attack" she said.

"At least we managed to avoid his wrath" Lily replied, Slughorn had given out three more detentions after Peter.

Since they had a free period, they made their way to the common room, grabbing the comfy seats by the fireplace. Lily and Arlo shared the couch, whilst Hermione sat in the recliner.

"Anyway" Arlo said cheerfully, "now that we finally have some time, I can tell you all about Benjy and I"

Hermione vaguely remembered Arlo waking her up just to ramble about her best friend, any other time and she may have been curious but that particular morning, she had absolutely no interest in any of it.

"There's a Benjy and you?" Lily grinned

"For a short while during the Quidditch game, there certainly was" Arlo beamed.

Hermione tried to pay attention but her heart and her mind were elsewhere.

 _It was a sunny day, warmer than a young Hermione would have liked._

" _Don't be nervous, Hermione" her father, Landon Granger, had comforted her. "it's just a bike"_

Hermione had been eight at the time, a bit too old for learning to ride but she hadn't been interested before then.

"He knew so much about Quidditch" Arlo gushed "he kept talking throughout all of it, like my own personal commentator"

" _Don't let those awful girls upset you" her Mum, Cecilia Granger, rubbed her back._

" _They don't like me" Hermione cried_

" _It's because they're jealous" her Mum smiled "you my dear, are simply wonderful and it's difficult for people to leave wonderful things alone"_

"I suppose that's wonderful" Lily managed to say

"It was!" Arlo giggled "and he invited me to join him for the next game!"

"A date!" Lily said excitedly

"Well…no, not really" Arlo sighed, her eyes landing on Hermione "his exacts words were that we should all do this again" she grumbled

"Hermione?" Lily questioned

"Yes?" Hermione managed to answer

"Are you paying attention?" She frowned

"Yes" Hermione sighed "Arlo had a wonderful time with Benjy"

Lily's frown deepened but she chose not to say anything.

"So" Arlo said "what happened with you and Severus?"

Hermione gave her a grateful look, the last thing she wanted was Lily on her case.

Lily huffed, her shoulders deflating. "He let me sit with him at least" she frowned "but it was so uncomfortable, the Slytherins ignored me throughout most of it but one or two kept making stupid jokes and Severus didn't say anything" she scowled

"Twat" Arlo snarled "I don't see why you bother with him"

"He's my friend" Lily argued

"Not much of a friend is he?" Arlo demanded

Lily sighed, lost for words.

Memories long forgotten bombarded Hermione not just of her Mum and Dad but of everyone.

She rose to her feet, being still never helped.

"Hermione?" Lily questioned, the worry back in her eyes.

"Library" Hermione managed to get out and then swiftly walked out of the room.

"What is up with her?" She heard Arlo ask just as the portrait slammed shut.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione's mood didn't improve as the week progressed. The anger fizzled out as she threw herself into her invention but the sadness clung to her like a second skin.

Even in her sleep, her parents refused to grant her a moments peace.

"Hermione?"

She startled to see Peter gazing at her. They were sat in the library, Hermione was suppose to be tutoring Peter but her mind kept drifting.

"Sorry" She frowned, shaking her head

"It's alright" Peter shrugged "I at least understand the theory behind the charm now" he smiled

"That's good" Hermione managed a smile "do you need any help with your essay?"

"No, Sirius promised he'd help me"

"Sirius?" Hermione frowned

"Say my name?"

Hermione and Peter turned around to see Sirius standing behind their chairs.

"Oh" Hermione breathed, surprised to see him. He'd kept his word, staying away from her last week and now their deal was over.

"Manage to get away from Marlene" Peter grinned

Sirius shot him a look "yes" he said darkly, sitting down next to Peter.

Peters eyes slightly widened and he grimaced. "You know what? I just remembered that I promised to meet up with James"

"Now?" Hermione frowned at him.

"Yes!" Peter said, hurriedly rising from his chair "I'm late already" he rambled, grabbing his books and his bag "I'll see you later Hermione" he blurted, rushing off before Hermione could say anything.

"What in Merlin's beard was that about?" Hermione questioned.

"You know what Peter's like" Sirius said "he's always been a little odd"

She turned, surprised to see Sirius still sitting there. She'd momentarily forgotten his presence.

"I better go" Hermione said, she'd only been in the library to help Peter.

"That's it?" Sirius frowned, his grey eyes curiously examining her. "No cutting remark or a verbal beat down?"

Hermione frowned at him "no" she shrugged "I can't muster up the energy, come back in a week and perhaps I'll care enough to try"

Sirius' frown deepened, with a sigh, he grabbed his book bag, reached into it and took out a small brown paper bag.

"That's for you" he said, dumping the bag in front of her.

Curious, Hermione looked inside to see an assortment of Sugar Quills. "You bought me sweets" she stated.

"You like them" he shrugged "and you've seemed a bit down lately"

"Have I?" She questioned

"Their's a dark cloud hanging over you Evans" Sirius said, "I thought this might cheer you up"

"Why?" She asked

"Because it has in the past" he grinned

Hermione frowned, unsure of how to respond to that. A memory rushed to the surface, one from just a few weeks ago.

" _Alright, alright" she sighed putting down her quill, "let's go"_

" _I adore you" Arlo beamed, jumping up from her seat._

 _Hermione began to pack her stuff away, stacking the various textbooks atop each other, when she spotted a brown paper bag._

" _Is that yours?" she asked Arlo, grabbing a hold of the bag._

" _No" Arlo shook her head._

 _Curious, Hermione opened it, only to a see a large stack of Sugar Quills._

" _Must be yours" Arlo said when she saw what it contained "you're the only one I know that eats those things" she grimaced._

" _I left mine in the dorm" Hermione frowned, sure that it wasn't her batch._

" _Well, it's yours now" Arlo grinned "hurry up, would you?"_

 _With a roll of her eyes, Hermione stuffed it in her book bag along with her books and followed after Arlo._

"This isn't the first time you've gotten me sweets is it?" She realised.

Sirius shrugged, a smirk on his lips. "It's the first time you'll know that they're from me" he said "I figured that you were too sad to throw them away"

Hermione sighed, he'd guessed right.

"Thanks" she managed to say, putting the stash in her book bag, along with her other items.

"You want to talk about it?" Sirius asked, a soft gleam in his grey eyes, "I don't look it, but years of listening to James ramble on has made me a good listener" he joked.

"No" Hermione shook her head, "I'm fine" she said rising to her feet, "I'll see you later, Black" she said walking away.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione's watch was finally complete, sort of.

There really wasn't anything to add, except a locking charm that would ensure that the watch could only be used by those she assigned it to.

But there was no way of knowing if the watch worked if she didn't try it out.

It had been easy in her old life, there was so much death and destruction that a random house blowing up or a flare of magic really didn't grab anyone's attention but here, if things didn't work exactly as they were suppose to, she'd have a lot of unwanted attention.

Hogwarts had one of the greatest wards in existence, this made it the perfecting testing ground but Albus Dumbledore also made it the most dangerous.

She really didn't want to try and explain why she was trying to breach Hogwarts wards, especially not in times like these.

"I need your help" she told Benjy.

She'd opted to sit at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast, Benjy was perhaps the only person who could lighten her mood these days.

"You need my worldly advice?" Benjy questioned "or my undying loyalty"

"Undying loyalty" she immediately replied

"I am at your service" Benjy grinned

"You're wonderful" Hermione beamed, one of the few times, she'd actually smiled.

"I live to please Ms Evans" he joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes, taking a bite out of her toast.

As breakfast came to an end, Dumbledore got to his feet, a rather unusual occurrence.

"I hope you've all had a pleasant week and are looking forward to the weekend" he said, his light blue eyes so similar to Benjy's roamed across the Great Hall.

"I have some unfortunate news" he said and Hermione's stomach tightened in anticipation, what could possibly have happened now? "Professor Catchmont has accepted a rather sudden position at the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Luckily for us, we have managed to acquire a Professor of the highest esteem"

He inclined his hand and a woman rose from the Professor's table, a woman with a mane of curly hair, an unusually skinny figure and thick glasses too large for her face.

Although she was years younger, Hermione instantly recognised her.

"I'd like you all to give Sybill Trelawney, our new Divinations Professor, a Hogwarts welcome"

Tepid applause rang from the Great Hall but Sybill seemed delighted at the response.

Hermione sat stock still, the shock racing through her body as her mind worked at a furious pace. This was all wrong, Sybill Trelawney hadn't joined the Hogwarts staff until 1980 and Dumbledore had only hired her because….

Surprise raced up her spine, the shock putting her on edge.

The only reason Professor Trelawney had been hired the first time around was because of the Prophecy that she had made which foretold of Harry destroying Voldemort.

But that couldn't have happened, not yet.

So why was she at Hogwarts five years early?

"Hermione?"

She looked up to see Benjy's confused blue eyes "the bell's gone, you numpty" he said

"Oh" Hermione breathed, getting to her feet.

"Not like you to day dream" Benjy said

"I need your help tonight" she told him, ignoring his remark.

"Tell me when and I'll be there" he shrugged.

Hermione spent the day unfocused on her classes, her mind far too preoccupied with everything else.

 _Think it through logically_ , she told herself.

The first difference in the timeline was her wand.

Instead of her beloved vine wood, she'd received Harry's holly wand, the twin to Voldemort's.

Then Voldemort had chosen to attack a random muggle street, killing her parents, a family named Thompson and a woman named Selma Carmichael. She didn't know either of them but Voldemort must have targeted them for a reason.

And then Professor Trelawney shows up at Hogwarts? When originally Dumbledore had only hired her because of the Prophecy.

What if he'd only hired her this time around for the very same reason?

What if her meddling with the time line had changed the Prophecy?

And perhaps, just maybe, whatever was in the new Prophecy was why Voldemort had targeted those three families?

Hermione huffed, frustrated with herself, it was all just guess work, she had no real proof.

"Has he not asked you?" Diana demanded, breaking through Hermione's thoughts.

"He's too busy hiding" Arlo muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Marlene demanded from across the table. They were sat in the Great Hall, having dinner and Hermione was set to meet Benjy after curfew.

"That we should all go riding" Arlo lied, "with our brooms" she quickly added.

Marlene raised a brow but chose to answer Diana rather than berate Arlo "he's very shy" she said

"Didn't he ask out Professor McGonagall just this afternoon?" Diana frowned

"And he called her stunning" Arlo added

Marlene glared at her, not impressed with her behaviour, "it's not the same thing" she asserted, "he's never asked a girl out before"

The evening post arrived which thankfully stopped the inane chatter.

At least a hundred Owls flew through the open windows, delivering mail. A brown spotty Owl stopped in front of Hermione, she unhooked the letter and let it eat off her plate before flying off. A similar Owl delivered the Daily Prophet to Lily, Hermione nervously scanned the front page over Lily's shoulder but their was no news of an attack.

With quick hands, she opened up her letter from home.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _It's been a few weeks since your last letter, telling Lily to write Hermione says hi in her own letters does not count._

 _Things have been rather quiet in Cokeworth, Petunia is still rather sad about Nicholas but is slowly coming to terms with his departure. She's been very focused on her studies this year, she wants to head off to London when she finishes school and pursue a typing course. Your father and I think that it's a wonderful idea but I can't believe how quickly the time has gone._

 _In a few months Petunia will be leaving home and in just two years, you and Lily will be finished with school. It seems like just yesterday that I was petrified to send you off on your first year._

 _I bumped into Tobias Snape the other day, I stopped him to ask what sort of gift Severus would like for Christmas but he was rather curt with me, do ask Lily if she has an idea of what Severus would like?_

 _How have you been? Your letters are always very brief and although I hate questioning your sister about you, you leave me with very little choice._

 _Lily tells us that you've been a little down lately, I hope it's nothing serious but I'm always here to talk and she also mentions that you have an admirer, a Mr Sirius Black, such an odd name almost as bad as Benjy._

 _Speaking of Benjy, how is he? Are his NEWTs giving him any trouble, he's a clever one that boy, he just needs to focus all that extra energy._

 _I hope you write back soon, your father says hi._

 _Love,_

 _Mum._

Guilt made her heart painfully throb.

She'd always struggled to connect with Viola and Henry Evans, they'd cared for her, nurtured her, loved her but like everyone else, she'd never truly let them in.

The letter bought painful memories of her other parents to the surface, memories and emotions that she worked very hard to lock away.

"What did they say?" Lily asked

She wordlessly handed over the letter, grabbing the Daily Prophet in return.

There'd been no attacks and no missing Wizards or Witches but on page 23, right at the bottom was a small extract that caught her attention.

 _The Muggle world has reported an unusually high number of disappearances this week, just last night a young woman named Elizabeth Warren was reported missing._

That was it, there was no other information on Elizabeth Warren, it shouldn't have mattered to her but the name seemed oddly familiar.

"I didn't mean to tell her about Sirius" LIly suddenly said "it's just she kept asking for any sort of news and she wouldn't believe that all you do is go to the library"

"It's fine" Hermione shrugged, putting down the Prophet "I don't care"

Lily smiled, relieved.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione waited until everyone was fast asleep before sneaking out of her bed, she wore muggle attire with a backpack where her two watches were stored.

When she made it to the one eyed statue, Benjy was already waiting for her.

"Why are you dressed like that?" she asked, staring at his all blue muggle attire.

"If anyone takes a look at me from a distance, they'll assume that I'm a Ravenclaw" he grinned

"That's-" she shook her head "rather clever actually"

Benjy beamed with pride, "so Captain, what do you need?" He asked, a curious glint in his eyes.

"Don't call me that" Hermione rolled her eyes, opening her bag to get out the correct watch. "It's rather simple, just make it to cellar of Honeydukes, stick this" she indicated the watch "in the corner and move very far away from it"

"You're not coming with me?" Benjy frowned, taking the watch from her.

"I'll be there" she promised

"Is this your super secret thing?" Benjy asked "the reason I've spent multiple trips to Hogsmeade, not actually enjoying Hogsmeade"

"Yes" Hermione said

"Wicked" he grinned. He tapped the hump of the one eyed witch and muttered "Dissendium" the witch moved aside, opening up a small passageway.

"I'll see you soon" Hermione said as he disappeared down the tunnel.

With quick moves and years of knowledge, Hermione made it undetected to the gates of Hogwarts.

She moved to strap the watch to the wrist on her wand arm and then thought better of it, who knew what could happen? It was probably better to put it on her left wrist instead.

She felt oddly exposed, standing by the gates with a simple invisibility spell over her. Nerves raced up her spine as she bought her left arm close to her chest.

One turn and that was it.

With slightly shaking fingers, she touched the crown of the watch, "here goes nothing" she muttered to herself and gave it a single click.

One moment she felt nothing and then exploding pain from her left wrist as she was violently hooked forwards.

All sense of time and place deserted her as her left arm was ferociously tugged forward. She couldn't make anything out, her body travelling far too quickly before a sudden pressure smacked straight into her.

Hermione could barely breath as the pressure surrounded her, squeezing every inch before suddenly releasing her.

With a great big crash she smacked right into numerous Honeyduke storage boxes, the air entering her lungs in one large swoop, her left wrist felt like it was on fire, leaving her in agony.

"Hermione!" Benjy called out, rushing to her side.

"Who's there!" Called out a loud voice, the cellar door opening.

"Shit" Benjy grumbled, helping Hermione to her feet, who was too disorientated to realise what was happening.

"We have to go" Benjy said, picking up the watch she'd given him, although it didn't look anything like a watch at that point.

He grabbed a hold of Hermione and dragged her through the secret passageway.

She stumbled, trying to keep up.

They ran for what seemed like miles to her but couldn't have been more than a minute.

"I'm going to be sick" she managed to say and Benjy was quick enough to dump her on the ground, where she proceeded to throw up her dinner.

"Your hand!" Benjy cried out.

Hermione shook her head, trying to regain her senses. Her brown eyes strayed to her left wrist where her watch looked burn out and the skin around it was an awful red colour.

Benjy crouched down next to her and tried to tug it off.

"You can't" she weakly managed to say, sitting back, she unstrapped the watch "it's charmed so only the wearer can remove it"

"What the fuck?" Benjy spat out, his blue eyes furious.

"I just need a minute" she shook her head and clenched her eyes shut.

After more than a minute, she tugged her back pack off and took out a pepper up potion.

"You knew this was going to happen?" Benjy demanded

"Not exactly" she breathed, downing the potion in one go. She instantly felt better, her mind clearer but her hand was an utter mess.

The watches hadn't lasted through the journey, burning out after one use but they had clearly worked.

"Don't smile!" Benjy snapped, which only caused her grin to widen "this is not the time to smile"

"It worked" she groggily said, "sort of" she conceded at his incredulous look.

"Come on, we have to get you to the Hospital-wing"

Hermione rose to her feet, but she had no intention of going to the Hospital-wing, no one could know about this.

They slowly made it through the passageway and passed the one eyed witch only to realise that all of Hogwarts seemed to be abuzz with noise.

They shared a look of bewilderment as thundering footsteps raced towards them.

"This way" Hermione said, dragging Benjy into the room next door - the girls toilets.

Benjy gave her a look but allowed her to lead him in anyway.

Instead of being empty, great big sobs could be heard from one of the stalls.

"Myrtle" Hermione called out, worried that they'd be detected if the girl didn't shut up.

"Myrtle?" Benjy said bewildered.

"It's the toilet ghost" Hermione explained but that only left him even more confused.

Moaning Myrtle floated through the stall door and stopped in front of them, "what do you want!" She roared, looking far more teary-eyed than Hermione remembered.

"Just wanted to use the toilet" Hermione lied. Ignoring the throbbing pain in her wrist.

"At this time?" Myrtle snapped "you're not allowed to be out of bed"

"I know" Hermione nodded "but Benjy" she pushed him forward "really wanted to meet you"

Benjy shot her a disbelieving look but they needed to get out of this without being caught.

Instead of being flattered, Myrtle had the opposite reaction.

"Come to stare at Moaning Myrtle!" She cried "come to laugh at her grief" she demanded

Benjy was utterly bewildered "n…no'' he stuttered "Moaning Myrtle?" he questioned, wide eyed "Why do-"

"I have a name you know!" Myrtle roared

"Okay" Benjy agreed, holding up his hands "I'd love to know your name" he grinned and Myrtle finally stopped crying.

"You would?" She asked

"Yes, we" he grabbed Hermione and pulled her forward "would love to know your name"

Hermione put on a smile, trying not to wince from the pain in her wrist.

Myrtle stared at them, swopping forwards until she was just inches away from them. It was odd, looking at a ghost, she could see every speck in Myrtle's eyes and she could also see the large tiles behind her ghostly figure.

"Very well" Myrtle swooped back, floating high above them. "If you must know, it's Myrtle Elizabeth Warren"

Hermione's eyes widened as she recognised the name "Elizabeth Warren?" she questioned "that's the name of the muggle girl who disappeared-"

Myrtle suddenly swopped right through her, bursting into sobs. Benjy shot her a look but Hermione was too preoccupied to notice.

"Did you know her?" Hermione demanded

Myrtle's sobs slowly turned into a sniffle before she managed to answer "she was my niece" she said "my brother's daughter"

"I'm sorry" Hermione said

"What does it matter" Myrtle snapped, "it's not like I knew her" she spat "and now she's dead. Just. Like. Me" she growled, floating through one the stalls and into the toilet bowl, making all the water splash out.

"I think we better go" Benjy frowned

"But-" Hermione frowned

"Now, Hermione" Benjy demanded

Reluctantly, Hermione followed after him.

"I can go to the Hospital-wing on my own" she lied

"I'm not letting you" Benjy frowned, grabbing a hold of the door handle.

"There's no point in both of us getting into trouble" Hermione argued. "Go back to your dorm" she demanded, "I'll be fine"

Benjy frowned but she gave him no choice as she opened the toilet door and ran off before he could follow her.

Instead of going to the Hospital-wing, Hermione manoeuvred past what seemed to be all of Hogwarts faculty and managed to make it safely to her dorm.

She didn't have any bandages and the red skin was turning a sickly purple, she'd have to figure something out but for now, she downed a sleeping draught and went right to bed.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione skipped breakfast that morning, it was a Saturday and she'd planned to spend the day in the library, searching for some sort of healing charm or potion to sort her hand out. Episkey had only worsened the pain.

Her morning of solitude was quickly interrupted by one Sirius Black.

"What do you want?" She demanded, the pain in her wrist killing off whatever patience she may have had.

"Their's your usual spark" Sirius grinned "glad to see you back to normal"

"Go away" she sighed but Sirius was unfazed.

He pulled up a chair and moved it closer to her before taking a seat.

"Missed you at breakfast" he said "Fenwick was looking for you, he seemed to be under the impression that you were in the Hospital-wing"

Hermione froze, Benjy had completely skipped her mind.

"Now, why would he think that?" Sirius asked, his dark eyes zeroed in on her.

"I don't know" she shrugged, her left hand was hidden under the table, safe from view. "You'd have to ask him"

Sirius leaned back, a grin on his lips "you know, I was roaming the grounds last night, after hours of course" he told her "and I happened to see you"

He was lying, her invisibility charm had ensured that she wouldn't be seen, at least not by eyes but it didn't hide her from magically enchanted maps, she realised.

"One second you're there and the next, poof" Sirius said.

"I was tucked away in bed" Hermione lied, plastering a smile on her face.

"I'm not here to bust you" Sirius grinned "I'm here to help"

"How?" She questioned.

"By getting myself into trouble" he smiled, "tell them that it was an accident" he told her, his wand was suddenly inches from her face, he lowered it towards the table "Confringo!"

The table and the books upon it shattered, the force shoved Hermione out of her chair and on to the ground, she bought her arms up to cushion her fall, forgetting about her wrist.

The pain was excruciating, the agony flared up in her wrist and shot right through her arm.

"Mr Black!" Madam Pince roared but Hermione was too disorientated to realise.

"Apologies" she heard Sirius say "but Hermione really needs the Hospital-wing"

That was the last thing she heard as she fell into unconsciousness.

Her mind came up with the oddest things, she remembered that time Eddie Carmichael from Ravenclaw House had tried to trick the younger years into buying his Barfullo's Brain Elixir, he claimed his success of nine Outstanding Owls was down to it and the one time that she had to do Prefect rounds with Pacey Thompson from Hufflepuff.

Strange incidents, that really hadn't registered with her in the grand scheme of things.

When she woke up, she was lying down in one of the beds in the Hospital-wing and her hand was fully bandaged but that mattered little to her because she'd finally made the connection.

Eddie Carmichael, Pacey Thompson and the original Hermione Granger had all been Muggle Borns.

Elizabeth Warren wasn't but perhaps she was like Selma Carmichael, the Thompson family and the Grangers.

Perhaps she was destined to bring a Muggle Born into the world, after all, her aunt, Moaning Myrtle had been a Muggle Born.

It couldn't all be a coincidence.

Voldemort was targeting the families of future Muggle Borns and with the arrival of Sybill it had to be because of the Prophecy.

"Ms Evans" Madam Pomfrey said, making her way out a room in the back "I'm glad to see you awake"

"How long was I unconscious?" She asked with a frown

"Ten, perhaps fifteen minutes" she answered "don't you worry, Mr Black was severely punished for this, there were multiple witness and your arm" she tutted, taking a hold of Hermione's bandaged arm "I've never seen anything quite like it" she frowned "it was luckily you were bought in quickly, the damage went right down to the bone. Everything, the muscles, the nerves, it all had some degree of damage"

"Right" Hermione weakly replied, she hadn't truly realised the extent of the injury.

"Rather surprising that a blasting curse could do that kind of damage, he must have been very close to you" she frowned

"It was an accident" Hermione lied, remembering Sirius' words "I was trying to explain the curse to Sirius and…well, it was an accident"

"He said as much" Madam Pomfrey tutted "but it matters very little, the boy will be cleaning the Astronomy tower for the next month"

"Oh" Hermione frowned unsure of what to say, but one thing was for sure.

She massively owed Sirius Black.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 _Eddie Carmichael is a canon character and Hermione did actually have to confiscate his Brain Elixir because he was trying to sell it to kids at Hogwarts._

 _Pacey Thompson is based on Emma Thompson who played Sybill Trelawney in the HP films._

 _Myrtle's canon name is Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, although I totally made up her brother and niece._

 _If I'm not being clear enough, the prophecy is different this time around and whatever is in it is making Voldemort hunt down future muggle borns._

 **See you next Thursday.**

 **El.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, it's always wonderful to get a response.**

 **We are on Chapter 10 which is just incredible, I can't believe I've actually managed to keep up with weekly updates and that's down to your enthusiastic response, this story has over 150 reviews, which is simply amazing.**

 **I would like to thank nightgigjo for responding to my request for a beta, we shall be working together from chapter 11 onwards, nightgigjo has also been kind enough to offer to edit previous chapters.**

 **I received a lot of questions last chapter, I'm on Tumblr, the info is on my page, come and ask me over there and I will 100% answer you. I love talking to you guys about TOEG.**

 **2 lovely reviewers asked why Hermione Evans looks like Hermione Granger, well I felt that Hermione Evans was personality wise so different from Hermione Granger and that if I changed her trademark physical features, it would be like having an OC instead of Hermione and I absolutely adore her curly hair and brown eyes, I did get rid of her large teeth though.**

 **El.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

"You'll have to wear the bandages for at least another day" Pomfrey tutted, examining her hand.

She'd spent the past few hours in the hospital-wing, having various potions shoved down her throat. Her hand no longer hurt and the colour had changed from a dark purple to a light pink.

"You still have a high chance of infection" Pomfrey frowned "so you'll need to come and see me for the next week" she said as she re-bandaged her arm, "how in Merlin's beard did a blasting curse cause so much damage?" She wondered aloud.

Hermione shrugged, working to keep the guilty look off her face.

Her watch had almost taken her arm off but it worked. A few adjustments, perhaps lessen the strength of the runes and it would surely work as it was suppose to.

The Infirmary doors opened but Hermione was too wrapped up in her thoughts to pay much attention.

"Professor Dumbledore" Madam Pomfrey said brightly.

Hermione's head snapped up to see that it indeed was the Headmaster of Hogwarts making his way down the aisle.

He wore eccentric blue robe with whizzing star across it. Although he was twenty years younger, Albus Dumbledore didn't look very different from his 90's counterpart.

"Poppy" Dumbledore greeted with a smile "would I be able to bother you for some Pepper-up potion, I'm afraid that I'm not as robust as I use to be"

Madam Pomfrey slightly frowned, the corner's of her lips turning down, but it was the confused look in her eyes that alerted Hermione to the fact that this was an unusual occurrence.

"Why, of course Headmaster" Madam Pomfrey replied, "I'll be but a moment" she told Hermione.

With a strained smile, she walked into her office, leaving Hermione alone with Dumbledore, who wasted no time in his interrogation.

Perhaps if she hadn't already lived through a lifetime with Albus Dumbledore, perhaps if she really was just a fifteen year old girl, perhaps if she hadn't experienced the darkest war to befall the magical world, then just perhaps it would have worked.

But she had and so Dumbledore had never stood a chance in cracking her walls.

"I was sorry to hear about your injury, Ms Evans" Dumbledore frowned, sitting down beside her bed. "Mr Black has been dutifully punished" he added "he's also been placed on special measures, I shall be personally reviewing his school record to decide if expulsion is appropriate"

Hermione remained unaffected, her face a mask of calmness.

Was Dumbledore trying to guilt her into telling the truth?

"If that's the school's policy, then I suppose that it must be adhered to" Hermione nodded.

Dumbledore's eyes slowly roamed over her, settling on her injured arm. "Mr Black is certainly a troublemaker" Dumbledore conceded, their eyes connecting "but he's never been one to terribly injure other students"

"It was an accident" Hermione lied, her eyes unwavering from Dumbledore's.

"Yes, Mr Black, said as much" Dumbledore nodded "may I suggest that the next time you try and teach a volatile curse that you use an empty classroom" he sweetly smiled.

"Of course, Professor" Hermione quickly agreed, "I should have used better judgement"

They fell into a tense silence, neither willing to back down, she was lying and they both knew that he knew it.

Madam Pomfrey interrupted their stand off, "here you are Albus" she smiled.

Dumbledore slowly rose from his seat, "Rather peculiar, don't you think Ms Evans?" He asked

"What is, Professor?" She questioned.

"That last night, for the first time in living memory, the wards of Hogwarts were breached and the very next day you find yourself in the hospital-wing with a serious injury"

Hermione stilled, forcing her body to remain relaxed but before she could come up with a reply, Dumbledore gently smiled, "I hope you recover quickly Ms Evans and don't find yourself so severely injured again"

Hermione managed a strained smile as Dumbledore took his potion from Pomfrey and left without another word.

With a heavy sigh, Hermione leaned back against the headboard, her detection rune had failed, that must have been why the Professors were all over the castle on their return.

"I wouldn't pay the Headmaster any attention Ms Evans" Madam Pomfrey frowned, "he's been under a lot of stress lately"

He certainly wasn't the only one, Hermione thought.

How much did Dumbledore know? He'd hired Trelawney so surely he must know quite a bit but was he doing anything about it?

"Alright, you can leave for now" Pomfrey said "but I want you back here after breakfast tomorrow and try not to strain your arm"

"I won't" Hermione promised

"If you feel any pain, just come back here and I'll give you another dose of a pain-potion"

"Will do" Hermione nodded, climbing off the bed, "I'll see you tomorrow" she managed a smile, all but running out of there.

Shortly after she'd arrived, Pomfrey had shoved a sleeping draught down her throat, which meant that she'd slept most of the day away as Pomfrey worked on her arm.

It was late evening now and the halls of Hogwarts were empty except for a few scattered students who paused and then whispered amongst each other when she walked passed.

The attention unfortunately didn't wane when she was safely within the confines of Gryffindor's Common Room.

A wave of silence engulfed the room when she made her way through the portrait hole and then just as quickly quiet chatter broke out as frustrated seventh years shushed anyone who dared make noise and eager first years leaned over their friends to get a look at her.

Without warning, a head of red hair barrelled into her, almost knocking her to the ground.

"Careful" she warned Lily as her sister squeezed her to death.

Lily quickly pulled back, worry flashing in her emerald green eyes, "sorry" she shook her head, her eyes landing on Hermione's injured arm. "I've been trying to see you all day but Pomfrey wouldn't let us" she rambled

"I was asleep for most of it" Hermione sheepishly said

Lily's face darkened "when I get my hands on Black-"

"It was an accident" Hermione cut her off, "my fault really"

Lily's frown deepened and she looked downright furious, but she chose not to argue over it.

"Let's sit" she demanded, leading Hermione to a table by the windows, where Arlo, Diana and Marlene sat.

"How bad is it?" Arlo frowned as Hermione took the empty seat besides her.

"Not too bad" Hermione lied

"I can't believe Sirius hurt you" she frowned

"It was an accident!" Marlene snapped, worried blue eyes landing on Hermione "wasn't it?"

"It was" Hermione reassured her. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to blame Sirius for something he didn't even do.

"You can't call using a _blasting curse_ in the library an accident!" Lily hotly snapped, her red hair sparking to life as she glared at Marlene.

"It was my idea" Hermione lied

Lily's glare shifted from Marlene to Hermione.

"It was!" Hermione assured her "if you're going to be mad at Sirius you should be mad at me as well"

Lily's glare suddenly shot up and zeroed in right above Hermione's head.

"Alright, Evans?" said a familiar voice.

Hermione turned in her seat to see James Potter with Peter and Remus on either side, for what she presumed was the first time ever, for she couldn't recall it ever happening before, James wasn't addressing Lily but her.

James stood nervously fidgeting, running a hand through his messy hair to make it even messier.

"I'm fine" she smiled.

"How's the hand?" He nervously questioned.

"It was just a graze" she lied, hiding the hand from view.

An awkward air swept over the group.

"Sirius feels awful" James blurted out.

"No he doesn't" Peter muttered under his breath but it was loud enough for them all to pick up.

James elbowed him with a strained smile.

"He shouldn't feel bad" Hermione smiled "it wasn't his fault"

James looked relived at that, the tension deflating from his shoulders.

"Where is he anyway?" Hermione enquired.

James seemed surprised at her question "oh, uhh, he's, well-"

"He's cleaning the Astronomy tower" Peter frowned "for blowing you up" he snarkily added.

James slowly tilted his head towards Peter and whatever look her friend saw was enough to kill whatever bravado he had.

Hermione rose from her chair, "I'm going to go and see him" she said

Three voices simultaneously asked "Why?"

Lily with a frustrated tone

James with a hopeful ring

And Marlene with a hard edge.

Hermione frowned at all three "because I can" she retorted and with a shake of her head, she walked passed the Marauders and through the portrait hole.

When she walked through the doors of the Astronomy tower, Hermione thought that perhaps she'd missed Sirius because the room was empty.

As she was about to turn back around she noticed that the balcony doors were wide open. With slow footsteps she made her way through the doors and found Sirius Black lying down on the floor and staring up at the night sky.

"Aren't you suppose to be cleaning?" She jokingly demanded.

Sirius jumped in surprise, startled at being disrupted.

His eyes locked on her and the shock dissipated and was replaced with surprise.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, sitting up with his legs stretched out in front of him.

Hermione shrugged, unsure of how to answer. "I wanted to say thank you" she admitted.

Sirius' gaze drifted to her arm and she quickly hid it behind her back.

The last time they'd spoken, she'd been adamant that she was fine and she now felt a little foolish at having to admit that she hadn't been, that she'd needed help.

Sirius slightly moved over and patted the space on the ground next to him.

She quirked a brow.

"I don't bite" Sirius grinned "much" he added with a smirk.

With a roll of her eyes, Hermione gave in and sat down on the ground next to him.

They sat in silence for a while, before curiosity got the better of her.

"How did you know?" She wondered, "that I needed to go to the hospital-wing" she clarified

"Oh" Sirius breathed out, leaning back on his hands "Fenwick gave it away"

Hermione frowned.

"Your boy isn't the best at coming up with stories on the spot" Sirius smirked "he walked right up to Lily to ask how you were. He was livid when he realised that you weren't at the hospital-wing"

Her frown deepened as guilt shot right through her and settled in her stomach,

"Next time you need a partner in crime, I'm the better choice" Sirius smirked, his grey eyes alight.

"I wasn't committing a crime" Hermione lied.

"You were doing _something_ that you weren't supposed to be" Sirius frowned "now I'm not one to ruin people's fun but a little rule breaking doesn't nearly take off someone's arm" he admonished.

Hermione grimaced, averting her eyes to stare up at the sky.

"So does the whole school know about my injury?" She wondered

"Pretty much" Sirius shrugged, "although they all think that I did it" he frowned

"I'm sorry" Hermione said earnestly, meeting his gaze.

"I'm a big boy Evans" Sirius said, "I chose to do it, although, I didn't count on your sister almost smacking me or Madam Pince almost killing me in the library, that woman is obsessed, I swear she was more worried about the books than you" he shook his head.

"Lily tried to hit you?" Hermione's eyes widened

"If it wasn't for James she would have, idiot put himself between us and got a smack for it" Sirius grinned.

Hermione groaned, she'd already spoken to Lily but that hadn't helped very much.

Sirius suddenly laid down on his back, both hands behind his head.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded with a frown.

"I'm sitting alone with a pretty girl, do you really think that I'm going to waste this opportunity?" He grinned

Hermione scowled but it had no effect on him.

He moved one of his arms from the back of his head and stretched it out for her to rest her head on, "I thought you were sorry?" he smirked "it's just some stargazing Evans, it isn't going to kill you" he added.

Hermione considered it for a moment, then huffed and laid down next to him, using his out stretched arm as a pillow.

They stargazed in silence, no tension or awkwardness in the air, cherries and smoke tingled her senses and although it was coming up to the end of November, she felt oddly warm.

"You can't see it" Sirius suddenly spoke up "but I'm named after a constellation"

"Canis Major" Hermione said "the dog star

"Is there anything that you don't know?" Sirius laughed.

"There's plenty of things that I don't know" Hermione replied, she tilted her head away from the stars to look at Sirius.

A shock of surprise went up her spine.

Sirius wasn't stargazing.

He was gazing at her.

"You're missing the stars" she informed him.

"I have a much nicer view down here" he smirked

Hermione grinned and Sirius' eyes lit up.

"That was disgustingly corny" she smiled, trying to regain her composure.

"Corny!" Sirius' brow's furrowed "I thought that was very smooth of me"

"You need new pick up lines" she tried to not smile but miserably failed.

"Your standards are much too high, Ms Evans, now, hush, I'm trying to watch the stars" his eyes didn't move from her face, Hermione, however, inclined her head towards the night sky.

"How's your hand?" Sirius suddenly asked.

"No lasting injuries" Hermione replied, although the question did bring up other questions that she had, ones she was desperate for an answer for.

"I was wondering" Hermione began, turning to look at him "and I figured since you're a Pureblood that you may have some insight" she explained "is there a way to track Muggle-borns before they're born?"

Sirius frowned at her, confused by her line of enquiry, he thought about it for a moment, before answering "not really" he slowly said.

"Not really?" Hermione repeated with a raised brow.

"Well, their births are registered simultaneously in Hogwarts and the Ministry as soon as they're born" Sirius explained "and there's no definite way to figure out who'll be a Muggle-born before they actually arrive but" he hesitated "there is a slightly ambiguous way"

Dread raced through Hermione.

"How?" She demanded

"All Muggle-borns are descended from Squibs" he explained, "it's just their family magic resurfacing after many generations"

"So?" Hermione said, picking up on his train of thought "if I wanted to track down future Muggle-borns, I would start with a Squib and then track down their family tree until I find whatever remaining descendants are alive today?"

"Exactly" Sirius said "I told you it wasn't a great method"

"But I thought that most Squibs just disappeared into the Muggle world?"

"They do" Sirius agreed "but the Administrative Registration Department has a record of every Witch who's birthed a Squib, so you'd start there and if you were desperate enough, I suppose you'd track that Squib through the Muggle world" he shrugged "a lot of effort if you ask me, I can't imagine anyone would ever bother"

"Yeah" Hermione breathed, unfortunately she did know someone who was crazy enough to go through all that trouble and most likely had the resources to do it.

Hermione turned back to the stars, when out of the corner of her eyes she spotted Sirius clenching and unclenching the fist of the hand she was resting her head on.

"Sirius?" She asked

"Yeah?"

"When did your hand go numb?" She enquired, looking at him.

His face flushed with embarrassment "about ten minutes ago" he admitted.

Hermione sat up with a shake of her head, "you should have told me" she sighed

"You're worth the pain" he smirked.

She snorted and rose to her feet.

"Leaving so soon?" Sirius frowned, sitting up.

"I think I should leave you to your cleaning" she softly smiled

Sirius' frown deepened but he said nothing as she walked away.

She stopped by the balcony doors, "Sirius" she called, remembering a conversation they'd had a short while ago.

" _So you don't like roses in general?" Sirius asked "or you don't like roses from me?_

" _Both" Hermione smiled._

 _A slow smile graced Sirius' face and he leaned in even closer "so what sort of flowers do you like?" he asked._

He turned to look at her, his grey eyes gloomy and his shoulder's deflated.

She felt like she owed him, he'd covered up far more than he realised.

"Marigold"

"What?" Sirius frowned, confused

"My favourite flower" she clarified, "it's Marigold"

The confusion only lasted for a second, his eyes lit up, his chest puffed out and a slow grin appeared on his face.

Hermione left before anymore words could be exchanged.

 **}{—}{—}{**

As much as Hermione wanted a quiet Sunday, that hope died before she'd even gotten up for the day.

"What in Merlin's beard is this!" Diana's shriek startled awake the whole dorm.

Hermione bolted upright and reared back in surprise at the sight.

Every inch of their dorm, all over their beds, covering every inch of the floor, their desks, their trunks and even poor Gus were Marigold flowers.

Hermione gingerly lifted one off of her duvet, it was a mesmerising orange colour in the centre of the petals with a yellow outline.

"Who would do this?" Arlo questioned, dumping a heap of Marigolds off of her bed.

"It's probably another Potter prank" Marlene huffed, accepting defeat and simply laying back down on her bed amongst the Marigolds.

"I don't like Marigold's" Lily frowned, her eyes straying to Hermione, who she knew did in fact like Marigolds.

"Don't tell me that you like Lilies'" Marlene grinned

Lily rolled her eyes and laid back down resting her head on her arm.

With a frustrated sigh Hermione leaned back on her headboard.

There was only one person that could have done this and she had an inkling as to how but why anyone would go to so much trouble she couldn't comprehend.

With a huff, she rose up from her bed.

"You're getting up already?" Lily frowned

"Might as well" Hermione shrugged, "I wanted to get to the library before it gets busy and I still have to write Mum and Dad a letter"

"The library?" Arlo grimaced, "on a Sunday" she said aghast.

"Has anyone actually finished McGonagall's essay?" Hermione asked, "it's due tomorrow"

"I have" Lily beamed as the other girls loudly groaned

"I'll see you three in the library" Hermione said smugly.

She quickly got dressed, shouting out a "bye" to the girls as she left the room.

Although it was an early Sunday morning the Common Room was filled with students and the reason why quickly became clear.

It wasn't just their dorms that Sirius got to, the Common Room was filled to the brim with Marigolds.

Hermione was rather bemused at the sight.

What an odd way to try and impress a girl.

With a shake of her head, she made her way to the comfy chairs by the fire where the Marauders were lounging around.

"Come on" she demanded, tapping Peter's shoulder.

Peter looked up at her in confusion.

"Library" she explained

"I don't want to go" Peter frowned

"I'll come" Sirius offered

Hermione ignored him, her whisky brown eyes focused solely on Peter "have you done McGonagall's essay?" She enquired.

"No" Peter frowned

"Would you rather do it now with my help or later in the day by yourself?" She pressed.

Peter huffed out a breath and with a groan rose from his seat, "I'll go get my books" he grumbled, walking passed her and up the stairs towards the boy's dorms.

"I still haven't done McGonagall's essay" Sirius said as James and Remus watched on in amusement.

"Then I suggest you get a start on it" Hermione smiled "alone" the smile slipped off her face.

James chuckled and then tried to cover it up by coughing.

Sirius ignored him in favour of Hermione, "see anything you like?" he asked, opening up his arms to indicate all the Marigold flowers.

"You know I use to like Marigolds" Hermione said as Peter made his way back down "but I have a sudden intense dislike for them now" she smirked

Sirius grinned at her, her words having no effect on his mood.

"We shared a moment babe" Sirius beamed "there's nothing that you can say to change that"

"Before or after you tried to blow her up?" Peter questioned

"After" Sirius immediately replied.

"We shared nothing" Hermione stated "and don't call me babe" she demanded, "come on Peter" she said, walking away before Black could say anything else that would annoy her.

Peter fell into step besides her as they exited the Common Room.

"That boy is so insufferable" she said

"Try sharing a room with him" Peter replied, "he made us sneak into Hogsmeade last night to get all those bloody flowers"

"You know Peter there's this magical word called 'no', you should try using it sometimes" Hermione said

Peter shook his head at her "you can't say no to Sirius, he's Sirius Black"

"And your Peter Pettigrew!" Hermione asserted as they entered the library. Madam Pince sent her a dark look and she immediately lowered her voice.

They walked around the tables and shelves until they found a a quiet alcove at the back of the library.

"I understand that in the world of Hermione Evans, with your Nargles and your books, that things work differently" Peter said as he dumped his books on the table "but in the real world, there are levels"

"Levels" Hermione frowned as she placed her own books down much gentler.

"Yeah" Peter nodded as they sat down. His blonde hair had grown over the past few weeks and he had a mop of hair that slightly resembled James'.

Peter held his hand up over his head "up here are people like James, Sirius, Mason, Lily, MacDonald, Dumont, and Rosier" he lowered his hand to about eye level, "then you have the likes of Marlene, Diana, Remus, Yaxley, Mulciber and you" he lowered his hand once again to about shoulder level "then there's the nobodies, Snape, Arlo, Aubrey, Carver and me, along with the rest of our year" he said "people on this level" he said with his hand near his shoulder, "don't say no to people on this level" he raised his hand so that it was above his head.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" Hermione said.

Peter huffed out a sigh and flipped open his textbook, "just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean that it's dumb" he grumbled

"Oh, I understand it" Hermione said "it's just really dumb" she frowned "Peter if you want to say no, just say no and if you want to go along with their stupid pranks then do that but own up to it, take some responsibility"

Peter frowned but chose not to answer.

Instead of arguing, Hermione decided to drop the subject "let's get to work" she said.

Whilst Peter worked on his essay, Hermione grabbed every book on Squibs that she could find. They all pretty much backed up what Sirius had said, Squibs weren't important enough to register but it was noted down whenever a Witch gave birth to one. The Ministry didn't keep any records on Squibs, so Voldemort would have to track them down in the Muggle world.

So in theory, Voldemort was using the Ministry records to track down Squibs and then tracking them and their descendants in the Muggle world, all because of the Prophecy.

She supposed that the older the Squib the harder it would be to track down any living family members but what could possibly have been in the Prophecy, for him to go to so much trouble to kill Muggle-borns that had yet to enter the world?

 **}{—}{—}{**

 _ **Muggle-borns being descended from Squibs is actually canon.**_

 _ **Once again, I am on Tumblr, any questions, you can come and ask me there and I'll always reply.**_

 _ **I'm going camping this weekend and it's suppose to rain, so my weekend will not be fun.**_

 _ **See you next week.**_

 _ **El.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**TOEG has hit 207 reviews, which is phenomenal, thanks guys. I've also got a beta on board, a massive thank you to Nightgigjo who has gone over the first 1000 words of this chapter. Unfortunately, I ran out of time to send her the rest. I promise to do a better job with future chapters.**

 **El.**

 **}{—}{—}{**

After she was done helping Peter and with her research, Hermione forced herself to go and track down her best friend.

Her friendship with Benjy was easy. Heated emotions had never been a part of the equation, with him, there was no need to explain herself, but she still felt bad. With a determined gait, Hermione made her way to Hufflepuff's common room and stood by its entrance, just to the side of large stacked barrels.

She didn't have to wait long before a Hufflepuff entered the corridor.

Mary MacDonald wasn't surprised to see her. This wasn't an unusual occurrence; Hermione went searching for Benjy at least once a week.

"I'll get Benjy for you" Mary said without Hermione having to say anything.

"Thanks" Hermione replied.

The minutes ticked by and various Hufflepuffs came and went before Benjy walked out of his common room. He looked as he always did, his black hair curled at the ends, his blue eyes shimmered in the light and he stood straight with his shoulders back. His eyes flickered to her bandaged hand and his eyes grew dark, but this was Benjy: grudges and anger weren't emotions he ever aimed at her.

She fished out her letter and held it aloft. "Want to walk with me to the Owlery?" she asked.

Benjy's lips turned downwards. A beat passed before he huffed out a breath and relented with a terse "sure." Hermione grinned up at him and they fell into step as they made their way through the halls of Hogwarts.

"I didn't see you at breakfast," Hermione told him.

"I wasn't hungry," he shrugged.

"You missed out on the Marauders pranking the Slytherins," she told him as they made their way outside.

The last thing Hermione cared about were those dolts, but their antics amused Benjy.

Benjy smirked at her, the tension leaving his shoulders. "What did they do?" he enquired.

"They used some sort of enhanced sticking charm," she explained. "The Slytherins couldn't get off their seats after breakfast."

Benjy laughed at that, his blue eyes sparkling at her. "I _am_ sorry that I missed that."

They fell into an amicable silence. Perhaps if he had been Lily or Peter, he would have demanded an answer to everything, or would have been angry at her for not going to the hospital wing and lying to him about it, but this was Benjy... _her_ Benjy. Excuses weren't needed and explanations weren't demanded.

"So, what did you put in your letter?" Benjy enquired, as they made their way up the Owlery steps.

"The usual," Hermione shrugged. "That I'm enjoying school and that everything is delightful."

Benjy snorted at that.

"Mum asked about you," she informed him, as she made her way over to a brown Owl and tied the letter to its outstretched leg.

"I hope you told her that I am as handsome as ever," Benjy smirked.

"Of course," Hermione grinned, stepping back to give the Owl some space. The Owl slowly walked out of its cage, flapped its wings and then took flight out of the open window.

They walked back down the Owlery in silence. Although it was barely five O'clock, the sun was already beginning to set.

"How's your hand?" Benjy enquired.

Hermione held it up so that he could get a better look. "It's fine now. Pomfrey fixed it right up."

Benjy frowned an odd look in his eyes. "How'd you trick Black into blowing you up?" he asked.

Hermione's eyes widened. "I didn't," she admitted.

"Then why did he do it?" Benjy questioned.

Hermione shrugged, unsure of how to answer that. Sirius Black was an odd young man. "Who knows? Who cares?" Hermione shrugged. "What do you want for Christmas?" she demanded.

Benjy frowned at her, but dropped the subject. "Hilly Mikilson's winter line comes out next week," he said. Hilly Mikilson was one of the magical world's most renowned fashion designers.

Hermione groaned. "Her robes cost a fortune!" she said "And they're not very practical," she advised.

"I want the yellow and black robes," Benjy grinned, " _with_ the trimming."

"Fine," Hermione conceded. Whilst Benjy didn't pry or prod, he did hit her wallet pretty hard.

"What do you want?" he enquired.

"A cheap best friend," she quipped.

Benjy gave her a playful shove, but the cold November air meant that the ground had a thin sheet of ice over it, which Hermione slipped over and promptly fell to the ground. Benjy burst out laughing, hollering so loud that a few curious Ravenclaws looked their way.

"You jerk," Hermione snapped, but the wide grin on her face took the bite out of her words.

Benjy held out his hand to help her up, a matching grin on his face.

"You're so annoying," Hermione grinned as she accepted the offered hand and with Benjy's help rose to her feet.

"That's why you love me," Benjy shrugged, fondly ruffling her hair. Hermione ducked away from his hand, but Benjy was determined, following after with outstretched hands.

"Cut it out," Hermione laughed, using her arms to protect her head.

"Say I'm not annoying," Benjy beamed, swiping at her head.

"No!" Hermione grinned, manoeuvring past him and running as fast as she could across the grounds.

Without missing a beat, Benjy was hot on her heels, his laughter resonating over the grounds.

 **}{** **—** **}{** **—** **}{**

Monday meant two things: Firstly, that Hermione's bandages were removed that morning, and secondly, that their third duelling session would take place that afternoon.

After their second session, no fifth year was actually looking forward to it, not even the Slytherins. Pennyweather was tough. He'd stopped the duo duels in favour of solo ones and the rankings had shifted dramatically.

Hermione was still first, with Rosier in second, Remus in third and Snape in fourth. That hadn't much pleased James and Sirius, and they seemed to step up their torment of the boy.

"I don't want to go," Arlo pouted.

"No one _wants_ to go," Marlene frowned, "but do you really want to do this with the seventh years?"

At last week's session, Clarissa Carver had been ill in the hospital wing, and instead of just accepting it, Pennyweather had forced her to join the seventh years' session.

"What if I end up against a Slytherin?" Arlo paled, leaning her head on Lily's shoulder.

The Gryffindor fifth-year girls were sat on the steps just outside of the Great Hall, no one keen to actually enter until they had to.

"Just do your best," Lily smiled at her.

"There's only one more session after this," Diana spoke up, "so just hang in there".

The bell chimed, signalling the start of their next class. With a groan, Arlo rose to her feet. "I'm dead," she declared.

Hermione smiled at her antics, but as they entered the Hall, it was clear that Arlo wasn't the only one dreading the session. Peter looked like he was about to throw up, a few Hufflepuffs were stood right at the back, by the doors and the Ravenclaws had a larger gap between them and the Slytherins than normal.

Pennyweather stood atop the platform, glaring down at them all. Hermione was certain that she'd never seen the man smile.

With a flick of his wand, the rankings appeared above the doors.

 _1 - Hermione Evans_

 _2 - Tony Rosier_

 _3 - Remus Lupin_

 _4- Severus Snape_

 _5- Sirius Black_

 _6- Tiberius Mulciber_

 _7- Levi Dumont_

 _8- Mary MacDonald_

 _9 - Lily Evan_

 _10 - James Potter_

"Now that we have an idea of where you belong" he growled at them "it's time that you face your equals" his eyes strayed to the Slytherins, who'd had a far easier time than the rest of the Houses during these sessions.

"For today you shall be duelling against the person next to you in the rankings" Pennyweather explained, his dark eyes landing on Rosier and then Hermione.

A ripple made its way through the hall as everyone tried to work out who they were facing,

"Thank Morgana" Arlo breathed, she was ranked thirty six which meant that she'd be going up against Monty Karinski from Hufflepuff.

"Oh no" James groaned his hazel eyes flickering to Lily, who had a small smirk on her face.

They were ranked nine and ten, which meant that they would be duelling each other.

"Don't worry Evans" James grinned "I'll go easy on you"

Lily glowered at him, a dangerous look in her green eyes.

"He's dead" Arlo whispered

"Oh yeah" Hermione agreed.

"We'll work backwards" Pennyweather said "forty two and forty one, get up here" he demanded.

Two Hufflepuffs made their way to the platform, their faces tinged red with embarrassment. Their duel barely lasted a minute, a simple Expelliarmus putting an end to it. The next dozen duels weren't any better and although Monty Karinski wasn't a good dueller, he wiped the floor with Arlo.

"It wasn't that bad" Lily comforted her but her words weren't loud enough to drown out the snickering coming from the Slytherins.

"I hate these classes" Arlo grumbled.

"Me too" Peter agreed.

Ranked thirty four, Peter would be up next, duelling against Dirk Cresswell from Ravenclaw

"Just don't concede" Sirius frowned at him.

The words weren't very encouraging and poor Peter practically wilted before their eyes.

"I don't want to do this" he shook his head.

"It's alright Peter" Remus smiled "Pennyweather won't let it go too far"

"And Cresswell is an awful duelist" James shook his head "I'd be embarrassed to lose to him" he whispered to Sirius, but it was loud enough for them all to hear.

Hermione, Lily and Remus all scowled at the boy.

"Sorry, Peter" he muttered, contritely.

Peter absentmindedly shook his head and with shaking hands, made his way up the platform.

"He's dead" Arlo concluded.

"Yeah" Hermione sighed in agreement.

Dirk Cresswell really was an awful duellist, he was slow and with a limited arsenal of offensive spells but Peter was worse.

He certainly tried but like Arlo, he lost - badly.

With his head hung low, Peter made his way down the platform.

"At least you tried" Hermione offered.

"You didn't concede" Sirius added, sympathy in his grey eyes.

"That was humiliating" Peter declared.

"Arlo's duel was worse" Marlene remarked.

"Hey!" Arlo snapped

"It's true" Marlene laughed

The next duel starting, thankfully cut the two girls off before they could start arguing.

As the duels progressed; the more interesting they became.

Cole Mason and Olivia Travers seemed to want to kill each other, their attacks were brutal and efficient but in the end, Travers came out on top with a Flipendo aimed to distract and an Ascendio that perfectly struck.

The Slytherins broke out in rambunctious applause with a few small clusters from the other Houses joining in.

"Okay, I hate her" Marlene said "but _that_ was amazing"

"She's good" Arlo frowned.

"She's brilliant" Diana scowled.

Mason had been ranked twelve and Travers, eleven, which meant that next up were Lily and James.

"Potter! Evans!" Pennyweather barked.

Whilst James looked a little nervous, Lily was downright determined.

They stood back to back on the platform, waited until Pennyweather actually finished counting and then went at it.

"Stupefy!" James shot at her.

"Protego!" Lily's shield went up and she was immediately on the attack.

"Vermillious Duo!"

James blocked it.

"Ebublio!"

He blocked it again.

"Petrificus-"

James didn't let her finish, he fired back with curse after curse and it was Lily's turn to be on the defensive. Despite what he had said, James wasn't going easy on Lily, but the two lacked the intense dislike that had driven Travers and Mason, their spells were rather tame in comparison.

In the end, James came out on top with a well aimed Expelliarmus. Lily's wand sailed out of her hand and clattered to the ground besides James.

The Gryffindors gave the duo a loud round of applause as they made their way back to their House.

Despite what Remus had said, Pennyweather really wasn't interfering, even when things got bad.

If Travers and Mason's duel was heated; it was nothing compared to Mulciber and Black. Their uniforms were singed and they were both sporting wounds. Mulciber had blood trickling from the side of his head whilst Sirius' left ankle seemed to be giving him trouble.

In the end, it came down to stamina.

Sirius managed to beat out a worn down Mulciber with a fast paced Reducto.

The Slytherins fell silent as the Gryffindors hollered and roared in celebration. One of their best had just been defeated, it left a dark undercurrent in the air and Pennyweather looked most displeased.

Sirius limped to a hero's welcome, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs crowding around him

"That was brilliant!" Peter cheered

"Never doubted you" James thumped him on the back.

"You best go to the hospital wing" Remus frowned in worry.

Sirius shook his head and gritted his teeth, "I'm staying for the next duel" he announced, his grey eyes flickering to Hermione.

"Rosier!" Pennyweather barked "Evans! Get up here!"

"Be careful" Lily whispered.

"I'll be fine" Hermione smiled, she'd faced far worse than Rosier.

Hermione climbed up the platform to great cheers from the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, whilst the Slytherins and Ravenclaws were firmly with Rosier, that didn't surprise Hermione, the students of Ravenclaw House weren't her biggest fans.

"Back to back" Pennyweather demanded.

Hermione had a light invisible shield around her before she'd even made the first step.

Rosier sneered at her as they faced off, anticipation in his dark brown eyes.

"Back to back!" Pennyweather snapped when neither did as told.

With a smirk at her opponent, Hermione turned around, her shield firmly in place. Whilst Rosier had adhered to the count down in his other duels, she knew better than to trust a snake.

"1-" Pennyweather had barely uttered one, when Hermione and Rosier simultaneously attacked.

"Incendio!" Rosier roared, a burst of fire erupted from the tip of his wand and collided with Hermione's shield.

"Diffindo!" Hermione fired back with her wand aimed right at his face.

At such a close distance, Rosier had no chance to put up a shield, the severing charm hit him square in the face cutting from the corner of his lips right across his face all the way to his eyebrows.

Rosier roared in pain, stumbling backwards and barely putting up a Protego in time for Hermione's next attack.

The cheers and hollering from the crowd were deafening but Hermione paid them no mind, staying focused on her opponent.

"Fumos!" Rosier shot out and thick black smoke appeared out of thin air, obscuring everything. She supposed that it was meant to give him a break from her attacks and a chance to fire back but Hermione was one step ahead.

"Lumos Maxima!" Hermione called out, a blinding flash of bright white light erupted from the tip of her wand, banishing the smoke.

"Carpe Retracum!" Rosier fired, a magical rope made of light shot out of his wand and aimed straight for Hermione, who dodged it and then fired back with a "Confundo!"

"Protego" Rosier's shield went up just in time but Hermione was already on the attack.

"Lacarnum Inflamarae!" Hermione's curse smacked straight into Rosier's shield, it shook with the impact and then disintegrated, letting the curse sail through the air and hit it's target.

Rosier's cloak ignited, the fire rapidly consuming him.

"Aqua-"

"Mimblewimble!" Hermione fired and the tongue tying curse hit Rosier before he could finish the counter curse.

Rosier's eyes widened, fear glimmering within their depths as he realised that he couldn't put out the fire.

Although he couldn't speak - he could still scream.

Hermione lowered her wand as the flames consumed Rosier, his screams echoing across the Hall as his wand fell to the ground and his body burned.

No one could decide where to look, at the burning Rosier, screaming in agony, at Professor Pennyweather who would surely stop it or at Hermione who stood wand lowered at the end of the platform.

In the end it was Lily who acted.

"Aqua Eructo!" She roared, a sprout of water billowing from the tip of her wand and on to Rosier, dousing the flames along with his cries.

That was when Pennyweather chose to intervene.

"Congratulations Ms Evans" he said, a glint in his eyes and a smile on his lips "ten points to Gryffindor"

He turned his gaze to Rosier who was huddled on the platform, no strength to stand, small cries escaping his mouth, his skin blistered and burnt, "Avery, Snape, get Rosier to the hospital wing" he demanded, glaring down at the boy. "The rest of you are dismissed" he barked.

Hermione made her way down the platform, the crowd parting like a wave as she walked down to the other Gryffindors.

She didn't get pats on the back or jovial smiles instead she received averted eyes and uncomfortable looks from her Housemates.

All except one.

Sirius Black was smiling, really smiling, ear to ear with his grey eyes lit up.

Hermione walked away from them without a word, she'd seen those looks a thousand times; in the eyes of Order members when her plans had crossed certain lines, in the eyes of Ron when she'd no longer cared about concepts such as fairness and justice and in the eyes of Luna when she'd been willing to go that extra step, even if it meant damning her soul.

}{—}{—}{

As the weeks passed by the consequences of Hermione's actions were felt.

Professor Pennyweather was fired; his neglectful duelling sessions had led to numerous students receiving injuries. It was to such an extent that the board could no longer ignore it.

Rosier had ended up in St Mungo's for a week, Pomfrey could have easily healed him but his parents had been fearful of scarring.

Hermione hadn't received a punishment from the school but her fellow students seemed to be under the impression that they were punishing her by ignoring her.

It would have been a dream come true, if it wasn't for the fact that Sirius Black was relentlessly in pursuit of her.

"It wasn't like Rosier was well liked" Benjy huffed as a group of Hufflepuffs made a big show of stepping out of their way, "and it was three weeks ago!" Benjy scowled at them.

"They'll move on soon enough" Hermione shrugged as she pushed open the Entrance Hall doors.

"Oy! Evans!"

Hermione and Benjy turned around to see Sirius Black rapidly walking towards them.

"Oh, bugger" Hermione frowned "is it too late to hide?" She asked

"Yep" Benjy grinned, popping the p.

"Let's just pretend that we didn't hear him!" Hermione suggested grabbing Benjy's arm and dragging him through the doors.

"It's too late for that" Benjy laughed as Sirius caught up to them.

He frowned at the pair, his eyes slowly moving from one to the other and then to Hermione's hand which was still wrapped around Benjy's arm.

"Yes?" Hermione enquired with a raised brow.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes suspicious.

It was Benjy that answered "we're walking" he stated.

Sirius' frown grew bigger.

"I'll walk with you" he announced, a large, stiff grin on his face.

"You're not invited" Hermione replied

"Walking doesn't need an invite" Sirius rebutted.

"Let him come along" Benjy said.

Hermione frowned at him, eyes wide with surprise.

Sirius grinned at him, eyes, similarly wide in surprise.

"Fine" Hermione conceded, walking away from the pair without a word.

Benjy fell into step beside her and then Sirius shoved himself between the two.

The unusual trio garnered some looks, a frowning Hermione, a delighted Sirius and a smirking Benjy.

"What did you want anyway?" Hermione asked

"What?" Sirius replied

"You were looking for me" Hermione reminded him.

"Oh right" he remembered "Peter's not feeling well so he asked me to pass on a message"

"Which is?" Hermione enquired

"He can't meet up with you on the nineteenth to go Christmas shopping so he was hoping that you would change it to the sixteenth"

"Oh" Hermione frowned "is he not going away that weekend with his father?" Hermione enquired.

"No" Sirius shook his head, "they've had to cancel" he said vaguely.

"And why couldn't Peter just tell her all that on the train tomorrow?" Benjy asked

"Because he won't be on the train" Sirius said as if he was talking to a child "Peter's staying for the first week of the holidays and then using Dumbledore's floo to travel home"

"Right" Benjy nodded a grin on his lips. He seemed to find the whole thing rather amusing.

"It's fine" Hermione said "I can do the sixteenth"

Sirius grinned at her "where should I tell Peter to meet you?"

"We'll stick with Trafalgar square, Hilly's boutique is only a ten minute walk from there, around 12 O'clock"

"Brilliant" Sirius grinned "I'll tell Peter to meet you there" he said, far too happily. "I better pass on the message" he said, walking away from the duo.

When he was out of earshot, Benjy turned to Hermione and said "you realise that he's going to be there with Peter, don't you?"

" _With_ Peter?" Hermione snorted "I doubt Peter even knows about the change in plan"

"So why did you agree?" Benjy asked, confused.

"Because I find it amusing" Hermione shook her head "and I think a whole day with me is exactly what Sirius Black needs to get over this infatuation"

 **}{—}{—}{**

Normally Hermione's compartment would be filled with people, either the Gryffindor girls, Benjy and some of his other friends or at least Lily but Marlene hated her, Diana feared her and Arlo was staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Benjy was off making out with some sixth year Gryffindor that had practically jumped at him when they exited the carriages and Lily was at a Prefect's meeting.

That left her with only one other person in her compartment.

Someone who wouldn't stop glaring at her.

Severus Snape.

Hermione really couldn't understand what Lily had been thinking when she'd abandoned the two of them.

Normally the two got on alright, they didn't really converse but they could amicably share the same space or at least they use to, that was of course before Hermione had almost killed his friend.

Now Severus was content with glaring at her across the compartment but it made it rather hard to read for Hermione.

"If you're going to just stare at me, you may as well leave" she spoke up.

"You almost killed him" Severus snapped, getting the words out through gritted teeth.

"He would have done the same thing to me" Hermione shrugged.

"You do realise that he's going to get you back for it" Severus snapped "not in some official duel but in a deep dark corner when you're least expecting it" he spat out, angry but also fearful.

Hermione lowered her book "are you afraid for me?" She asked surprised.

"No!" He answered truthfully, aghast at the mere idea.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, realisation dawning on her "you're afraid for Lily" she smiled.

Severus frowned but did not deny her statement.

"Lily will be fine" Hermione assured him

"You don't know them" Severus shook his head, his greasy hair ruffling against the wind "Rosier and Mulciber, they'll hurt you in any way they can and that includes Lily"

"Lily has you" Hermione shrugged, flicking a page in her book.

Severus glared at her. She could practically see his mind working, he didn't want to go against the other Slytherins, he didn't want to be ostracised for defending a Gryffindor, a Muggle Born, a Mudblood. Slytherin House was his home but Lily was Lily, his first ever friend and because of Hermione, the two things he loved most were coming close to dangerously colliding.

The compartment door opened and Benjy with his uniform in disarray and his hair ruffled walked through the door.

"You look like you had fun" Hermione grinned

"There's nothing in this world better than a woman's lips" he declared, tumbling into the seat besides Hermione.

"I'll take your word for it" she grinned.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **See you next week.**

 **El.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Just a massive thank you to my beta Nightgigjo for her hard work with this chapter, all mistakes are my own. A thank you, also to Fairfortune and Juphulk over on Tumblr and of course, to you wonderful readers, every review I've received has either just been full of praise or has very gently critiqued my writing.**

 **El.**

 **}{—-}{ —-}{**

The train home was as pleasant as it could be. Benjy slept through most of it, while Severus and Lily played wizard's chess and Hermione read a book. "Magical Logistics and Tactful Tracking?" Lily read the title with a curious frown. "Why are you reading that?" she asked.

"Seemed interesting," Hermione shrugged, closing the book as the Hogwarts Express pulled up to King's Cross.

Benjy was sprawled over the seat, his feet resting on Hermione's lap. With a smirk, Hermione knocked his feet to the ground. The momentum rolled Benjy right off the seat and, with a yelp, he tumbled to the ground. Lily laughed out loud at the sight and even Severus smirked at the sixth-year boy.

"We're here," Hermione grinned.

Benjy sent her a glare and rose with a huff, making a big show of dusting himself off. "Most girls would kill to have me so close," he grumbled.

"Gross," Lily shuddered.

Severus nodded in agreement and Lily smiled at him, causing his chest to puff out.

Benjy shook his head at the two and grabbed his trunk from the overhead storage. He placed it by the door and then grabbed Hermione's trunk and Gus' cage. He grinned at Lily's expectant face and, instead of getting her trunk down as well, he simply moved out of the way.

Lily rolled her eyes at him but before she could step forward to grab her own trunk, Severus rose from his seat and did it for her. "Thank you Sev," Lily grinned. "At least some men," she threw a dark look at Benjy, "are still gentlemen." Severus beamed at her praise.

"I don't like you, so I won't help you," Benjy shrugged, then grinned.

Severus glared at the boy, his mood quickly shifting, but Hermione stepped between them before anything could kick off. "Let's go," she demanded, shoving Benjy out of the compartment.

"Prat," she heard Lily grumble.

The corridor was packed with students, but it was nothing compared to the platform, which was absolutely heaving with people. There were so many, Hermione could barely make out faces.

"Benjy!"

The small group turned their heads at the noise. A woman with sun kissed blond hair, a large smile and expensive green robes was frantically waving at Benjy. Benjy beamed at the sight, enthusiastically waving back.

Hermione had seen plenty of parents over the years; Molly Weasley, Xenophilius Lovegood, Apolline Delacour, Violet Evans and they'd each come with their own style; firm, creative, expectant and supportive, but she'd only ever describe one parenting style as fun.

Cecilia Fenwick seemed to live as incautiously as possible. One morning she'd be in Vietnam learning the intricacies of Veela mating rituals, and the next she'd be in Romania trying to tame dragons.

"Mum!" Benjy grinned as Cecilia threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, not a jot of embarrassment in his actions.

"Benjy, my boy," his mum said, leaning back to get a good look at him. "As handsome as ever," she declared.

Hermione snorted, grabbing her attention.

"Hermione," Benjy's mum smiled, hugging the witch.

"Ms. Fenwick," Hermione smiled, returning the hug.

"Oh, please, how many times do I have to tell you?" she said with a pout. "None of that Ms. nonsense, it makes me feel far too old."

"You are old," Benjy grinned, earning a look and a swat on the arm from his mother.

"Lily!"

Everyone turned to see James with his three friends standing next to two adults, who, going by their hair, could only be James Potter's parents.

"Oh no," Lily frowned, "we have to go. Ms. Fenwick..uhh..Cecilia," she quickly corrected, "it was lovely to see you again but we really must be off." She grabbed Hermione by the elbow and hastily began dragging her as far away as possible. Severus had no need to be dragged, happily following after the two.

"Hey, Evans!" James cried even louder, "don't pretend that you can't hear me!" he bellowed, "I just want to introduce you to my parents!"

Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing, but she wasn't doing a very good job. Lily shot her a glare.

"Quickly," Lily demanded when they made it to the barrier.

With a smirk, Hermione ran through it and made it to the other side without so much as a glance from the Muggles walking around. Severus followed up behind her and then Lily made it through.

"Don't laugh," Lily demanded, and Hermione did her best to keep in her mirth.

"You should report him," Severus scowled. "His harassment has reached intolerable levels."

"He's a prat," Lily said, irked, "but he's harmless."

Severus' eyes grew dark at that, and Lily seemed to realise that she'd said the wrong thing. Whilst James Potter was certainly harmless to her, he was Severus Snape's tormentor.

"Severus, I didn't mean-" Lily began, but he cut her off.

"My mum's here."

The Evans sisters turned to see Eileen Prince standing by the stairs. She was as different from Cecelia Fenwick as it was possible to be. She wore a simple black dress, with her dark hair pinned up and a permanent scowl on her face.

"I'll see you later," Severus grumbled.

"Severus," Lily tried but he walked off before she could say anything. Lily sighed in frustration, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't," Hermione interrupted with a small smile. "Come on, I'll get you a donut," she offered.

"Do you have any Muggle money?" Lily enquired.

Hermione paused. "Alright, you'll get the two of us a donut," she smiled.

Lily shook her head. "Come along then little sister," she sighed.

"Little?" Hermione questioned, but Lily was already walking away.

Unlike most of their peers, Hermione and Lily were taking the Muggle train home to Cokeworth, where they would be met at the station by their parents. The sisters sat at a cafe whilst they waited for their train, where Hermione did her best to cheer up Lily. Unfortunately, cheering someone up was not Hermione's specialty.

"I just don't understand why they hate him so much," Lily frowned, barely touching her chocolate milkshake.

"They get everyone," Hermione shrugged.

"Not like they get Severus," Lily shook her head. "They target him," she scowled, "and the more they do it the more he runs to-" Lily sighed in frustration, unable to finish her sentence.

"His Slytherin friends," Hermione concluded for her.

"I'm not making excuses for him," Lily explained, "but Sev has no one. His home life is…it's pretty bad," she exhaled. "Hogwarts was a safe place, but now with all these attacks and the Slytherins practically cheering them on, it's become divided. It's Slytherin House vs the world," she frowned.

"Which makes it you against Severus," Hermione summarised, thinking then of the professor she'd hated as a child, the man who had caused her to cry at twelve years old, who had sacrificed himself for a boy he hated in memory of the woman he loved.

If Peter and Benjy and Lily could be saved, why couldn't Severus Snape?

"It doesn't have to be," Hermione told her.

Lily looked up at her, green eyes filled with surprise.

"I'm not saying that you'll get through Hogwarts as the best of friends," Hermione breathed, "but you can get through it together. If your friendship with Severus really matters to you and he feels the same then…you can make it work."

"I thought you didn't-"

"I don't like Severus. He's a little shit," Hermione smiled with a shrug, "but so am I."

Lily frowned, the sadness in her eyes only growing.

"I'll help you," Hermione promised. "If he really means that much to you, I'll help."

Lily's frown slowly turned upwards and her eyes shimmered in the evening light. "Thanks, Hermione," she said with a soft smile.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **-}{**

By the time they made it to Cokeworth Station, the sun had long set, and Viola and Henry Evans were waiting on the platform.

"Dad!" Hermione plastered on a smile, giving Henry Evans a hug, ignoring the small ache in her heart.

"Look at you," Henry grinned, pulling back and holding her at arm's length, "prettier every time I see you."

Hermione rolled her eyes and moved on to hug her Mum.

"How was the trip?" Viola asked as she hugged her youngest daughter tight.

"It was fine," Hermione replied."Where's Petunia?" she asked, confused.

Her parents shared a look, "I'm afraid Petunia had plans for this evening," Viola said, grabbing Hermione's trunk. "You'll see her at dinner," she added as the twins were led out of the station and into their family car.

The drive home didn't take long and soon Hermione found herself walking through her front door.

"I've got it," Henry said, grabbing Hermione's trunk.

"Dad, I can do it," Hermione protested.

"Oh, please, it's as light as a feather" Henry grinned, simultaneously holding Lily and Hermione's trunks. "Magic?" he questioned.

"Magic," Hermione concurred.

"Got to love it," he beamed, walking up the stairs.

Hermione grinned and followed him. She had the same room she'd had as a little girl. It really hadn't changed much decorations-wise: The walls were stark white and her desk was still situated right below the window but it had a few more picture frames than when she was little.

Hermione softly smiled as her eyes scanned the pictures. The first was of her and her family at the beach. She couldn't have been older than ten, and originally she hadn't wanted to go, but in the end, it had been rather fun.

The older ones had one similarity - Benjy Fenwick.

There was a picture of her and Benjy with Peter from back in first year and another of just the two of them at the lake in Cokeworth from this summer.

"Where'd you want it?"

Hermione turned to see her father holding her trunk.

"By the bed is fine," she said.

Henry placed it where she asked and came over to the desk. "Those are lovely," he grinned, picking up a frame of her and Benjy from her third year. Hermione was sitting by the lake reading a book and Benjy then shoved her in. "I'll never get used to the pictures moving," Henry shook his head.

"It's pretty weird," Hermione smiled.

"I'm sure that's not the weirdest thing you've seen in the magical world," he said, placing the picture frame down. "Wash up, dinner will be ready in ten."

"Will do," Hermione said and with a smile, Henry left her room.

Hermione changed into more comfortable clothing and then made her way to the dining room, where her family including Petunia were all situated.

"Petunia," she smiled at her sister as she took the empty seat across from her and next to Lily. Petunia looked exactly like the last time she had laid eyes on her, her blonde hair went just past her shoulders, her neck was a little too long and she was dressed in her usual drab colours. "How's school?" Hermione asked, genuinely curious. Whilst she didn't have the closest of relationships with her eldest sister, they were still amicable. She couldn't say the same about Petunia and Lily. For reasons she couldn't understand, Petunia loathed Lily.

"It's pretty boring," Petunia sighed, picking at the roast on her plate.

"No, it's not," Viola argued. "You had that art exhibit just last week."

Petunia raised a brow. "I don't like art," she scowled.

"You don't like anything," Henry joked with a smile, but Petunia wasn't amused.

"How's Nicholas?" Lily asked.

Viola winced as Petunia flinched and glared at Lily.

Petunia all but slammed her fork on the table and rose out of her seat. "I'm not hungry," she announced, fuming, as she left the room.

Lily stared after her with wide eyes and even Hermione was taken aback.

"It's not your fault, sweetheart," Viola said.

"She's still struggling with Nicholas being sent away," Henry added with a frown.

"I didn't think they were that serious," Hermione said.

"They weren't," Henry sighed. "She was barely with him for two weeks. It's just puppy love."

"Nicholas hasn't written back in weeks," her Mum added. "He's the first boy who's ever shown a real interest in her and she's just finding it difficult to move on."

"I didn't realise," Lily frowned. "I should go and apologise."

"After dinner" Henry insisted "right now, I want to hear all about Hogwarts and this Sirius I keep hearing about"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, as Henry pointedly looked at her.

"There's nothing to hear," she stated, eating a spoonful of potatoes.

"Lily said he asked you on a date?" Viola questioned.

Hermione slowly looked at Lily who was guiltily shovelling food down her throat. "If that counts as news in this house than we really should have started talking about James Potter years ago"

Lily spluttered, choking on the large mouthful she still had.

Henry and Viola looked at Lily, eyes wide. "Who's James Potter?" they simultaneously asked.

Lily swallowed her mouthful and shot Hermione a glare.

"I think that's my cue to leave" Hermione said, quickly standing up. "Thank you for dinner, it was delicious," she added hastily, and with an awkward grin, she ran out of there.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **}{**

The first few days home for Christmas weren't as pleasant as previous ones. Petunia was determined to stay locked up in her room and her parents were determined to get them all out and about. So instead of getting some research done for her watch, Hermione had been forced to endure family time. They went shopping together, they went bowling together, they decorated the tree together...the whole thing was just getting too much.

So when the sixteenth rolled around, Hermione was delighted.

She hopped down to breakfast fully dressed with an exuberant air around her. The same could not be said for her family who were all sat at the kitchen table, holding what could only be described as a stilted conversation.

"You look nice," Henry frowned.

"Do I?" Hermione asked, looking down at her clothes. She wore her black jeans with her large grey jumper, perfectly average attire in her opinion.

"Where are you off to?" Viola asked, curious.

"Christmas shopping with Peter," she smiled. Although the chances of Peter actually being there were rather slim, but her parents didn't need to know that.

"The short boy?" Her father questioned "with the blonde hair?"

"Yes, Dad," Hermione replied, buttering her toast.

"If Hermione gets to skip out on family time, then so do I!" Petunia proclaimed.

"Me too!" Lily jumped in.

Her parents shared a frustrated look. "Girls," Viola began, "we're only trying to build some memories together," she sighed. "It's supposed to be fun."

"It's torture," Hermione plainly stated.

"Awful," Petunia agreed.

"Yeah," Lily regretfully sighed.

Viola huffed in defeat. "Fine. Family time is officially over," she proclaimed.

Hermione grinned at her parents, thankful that her time would once again be hers.

"So now that you're free," Henry said, "what are your plans for today?"

"I'm going to spend it with Severus," Lily answered. "Mum, can he stay for dinner?"

"Of course," Viola answered, "Severus is a delight."

"And you Petunia?" Henry asked. "Why don't you invite a friend over as well?"

Petunia rolled her eyes at him. "The last thing my friends want to do is sit around the dinner table," she stated. "Don't count me in for dinner."

Viola and Henry frowned, but chose to stay quiet.

After that, breakfast was an awkward affair. The Evans family had very little to converse about, Petunia snapped whenever anyone addressed her, Hermione didn't offer much in terms of conversation and Lily had run out of things to talk about.

Sirius Black and James Potter were completely off-limit topics in the Evans household.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **-}{**

Hermione exited the Knight Bus right on time, walking through a busy throng to reach her meeting point. Although Trafalgar Square was heaving with people, it didn't take long for Hermione to spot him.

Sirius Black was stood leaning against Nelson's column, smoking a cigarette. He was wrapped warmly against the December cold with dark jeans, large boots and a leather jacket atop a black t-shit. It didn't take long for his grey eyes to spot her. He pushed away from the statue, throwing the cigarette to the ground and treading on it to put it out.

"Hey," he grinned when she was close enough.

"Hi," Hermione replied, folding her hands across her chest. "Where's Peter?" she asked with a raised brow.

Sirius' eyes widened. "Oh, right," he chuckled awkwardly, "the thing is-"

"You lied to me," Hermione stated.

Sirius stared at her and then heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I did," he admitted, "but only because I knew you wouldn't give me a chance."

Hermione shook her head at him. "Come on then," she said.

Sirius startled back in surprise. "That's it?" he asked.

"What did you expect?" she replied.

"A bigger fight than that, if I'm being honest," he admitted with a grin.

"It's not like it's a date," Hermione stated, "and I'm sure that I can put up with you for a few hours."

Sirius's grin fell.

"Let's go, Black," Hermione said, walking on ahead.

It took a moment but Sirius soon followed after, walking by her side.

"Where are we going?" he asked

"Hilly Mikilson's," Hermione informed him.

Sirius whistled in appreciation. "That place is fancy."

"Tell me about it," Hermione sighed. "It's going to eat up half of my budget and I still have to get Lily and Arlo a gift."

Sirius frowned at her, confusion in his eyes. "We're not going to Hilly's for Lily?" he questioned.

"No," Hermione answered with a shake of her head. "It's for Benjy."

Sirius's frown grew, a dark spark in his eyes. "Fenwick?" he grimaced. "Why are you spending so much on Fenwick?"

"Because he's Benjy," Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

Sirius's mood soured but she paid him no mind as she walked in to Hilly's boutique. Although it looked tiny on the outside, crammed between two other stores and charmed to repel Muggles, the inside told a completely different story. The boutique was three floors high, crammed to the rafters with witches and wizards doing their Christmas shopping. Hermione walked further in, bypassing the older selection.

"You know you can just get him last season's robes," Sirius advised.

"He wants this season's," Hermione informed him.

"He told you want he wanted?" Sirius asked perplexed. "Who does that?" Hermione stopped in front of the right section, scanning the walls for the robe Benjy wanted. "Benjy and I have a special relationship."

Sirius grumbled something under his breath.

Hermione spotted the yellow robe with the trimmings and instinctively grabbed her wand, before realising that she wasn't in school anymore and the last thing she wanted to receive was a letter from the Ministry. Instead, she looked around for an assistant, but they were all preoccupied. With a sigh, she stood up on her tiptoes, trying to reach the top of the robe.

A warm body pressed against her back, as a hand moved into her line of sight and grabbed the robe. Hermione turned to Sirius staring down at her, standing very close. She stumbled back in surprise. Sirius just smirked at her, holding out the robe for her to take.

"Thanks," she breathed, taking the robe.

They joined the checkout queue and Hermione almost winced when the guy behind the counter gave her a price. With a reluctant frown she handed over slightly more than half of her budget.

With a wave of his wand the man put a feather light charm on her bag. "Hope to see you soon," he smiled, handing the bag over. Before Hermione could take it, Sirius grabbed it.

"You don't have to carry it," she told him.

"I want to," he shrugged. "It's not like it's heavy," he explained with a smirk.

"No, you don't understand," Hermione said, indicating her small shoulder bag. "This has an extension charm."

Sirius's face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh," he breathed. He held up the bag for her and Hermione, grinning at Sirius's embarrassment, quickly put away Benjy's gift. With a shake of his head, Sirius headed for the exit.

Hermione followed him out of the store and a few feet down the road before asking, "Where do you want to go to next?"

Sirius huffed in frustration. "I want you to consider this a real date," he declared, exasperatedly running a hand through his hair.

Hermione stopped in surprise. "Real dates usually start off with a real question," she said.

"Go out with me?" Sirius asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No."

Sirius breathed out in frustration. "There's got to be something you want in exchange for a date..."

Hermione had 'no' on the tip of her tongue when, like a bolt of lighting, she realised that there was something she wanted from Sirius Black.

"Maybe," she hesitantly replied.

Sirius's eyes widened and a slow grin appeared on his face. "I'll do anything," he declared.

Hermione bit her lip in thought. A single date wouldn't kill her and it was for Lily, after all.

"Leave Severus Snape alone."

Sirius balked, his jaw tightening and his eyes flashing. "Snivellus?" he grimaced, his face flushing in anger.

"Stop torturing him," Hermione nodded, "and I'll consider this a real date."

"Torture!" Sirius said through gritted teeth. "That bastard deserves every last thing he gets!"

"I guess you don't want a date after all," Hermione shrugged, turning on her heel and walking away.

She made it halfway down the road before Sirius came running down, stopping in front of her and blocking her path. "How long?" he demanded.

"What?" Hermione said in surprise.

Sirius glared at her, deeply unhappy. "How long do I keep my wand off of Snivellus?" he demanded.

"Forever," Hermione instantly replied.

Sirius snorted. "That's not happening. Aim for something a little more realistic," he said mockingly.

Hermione frowned at him. She was tempted to just walk away, but this could make all the difference for Severus. "For the rest of the school year," she decided.

Sirius frowned, thinking it through."It'll have to be for more than one date."

"How many?" Hermione grimaced.

"This one and our next two Hogsmeade trips," Sirius asserted, "and I get to defend myself if that asshole attacks me."

Hermione glowered at him, but conceded. "Fine, three dates and only if he attacks you first. Drawing his wand doesn't count."

" _Real_ dates," Sirius said, a spark in his eyes. "That means actually taking it seriously and trying."

Hermione hesitated for a minute before agreeing. "Alright," she said.

Sirius grinned at her and held out his hand. Hermione fought the grimace off her face and clasped hands with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked as Sirius led her down the street.

"A late lunch," he answered.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—-** **}** **{**

They settled in at a Muggle diner, grabbing a booth. Instead of sitting across from her, Sirius sat next to her.

"What can I get you?" a waitress, who seemed to be around their age, asked, except she wasn't asking Hermione. Her eyes seemed to be glued on Sirius.

Hermione frowned at her. "I'll have a cheeseburger and Coke," she said.

"And you?" the woman asked Sirius, smiling far too wide.

"I'll have the same," Sirius smirked.

The girl wrote it all down on a pad but kept standing there.

"You can go now" Hermione informed her.

The waitress's eyes slid over to Hermione and she frowned, a questioning look in her eyes as she looked at the two of them. Hermione sent her a glare and with a roll of her eyes, the waitress walked away.

"I prefer brunettes," Sirius smirked.

"I didn't ask yo-" Hermione stopped speaking, biting back her scathing remark.

Sirius' smirk turned into a full blown grin.

Hermione sighed in defeat and leaned back against the booth. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Let's play a game," Sirius suggested

"A game?" Hermione frowned.

"It's called twenty questions," he said. "We take turns asking each other questions, except on this occasion, we get to go past twenty."

"How do you know I'll answer truthfully?" Hermione wondered.

"That's part of the fun," Sirius smirked. "Is Lily your only sibling?" he began.

Hermione rolled her eyes but answered anyway. "No," she shook her head, "we have an older sister, Petunia," she answered, and racked her brain for a question to ask. "What's your favourite colour?" she lamely replied.

"Red," Sirius answered with a grin. "Why is Snivellus so important to you?"

"He's not," she admitted. "He's important to Lily."

Sirius frowned at her.

"Why do you hate him so much?" she asked.

"That's hard to explain," Sirius breathed. "He just pushes all my buttons, he's such a fucking moron." He shook his head. "What do you want to do career-wise after Hogwarts?"

"I don't know," Hermione shrugged.

Sirius' eyes widened "Why do you study so much if you're not chasing some crazy-ass dream?"

"I like to study, and that's _two_ questions" Hermione said.

The waitress returned, interrupting their game. She placed their meals in front of them and, with a salacious smile at Sirius, walked away.

"Doesn't that get old?" Hermione asked him.

"Girls thinking I'm hot?" Sirius asked and she nodded. "No!" he said, as if she was crazy for even suggesting it.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and took a sip of her Coke. "Favourite book?" she asked, hoping to change the topic.

"The Fracture of Four."

Hermione spluttered in surprise.

"What?" Sirius questioned , eyes narrowed. "Have you read it?"

"Yeah," Hermione breathed, truly flummoxed, "it's one of my favourites."

"See, we do have things in common!" Sirius said proudly.

"What do you like about it?" Hermione asked, genuinely curious.

"The conflict between the founders," Sirius replied. "Godric Gryffindor having to pick between his dream and his best friend. It's kind of fucked up, but then that's reality. Life isn't all rainbows and glitter; it's fucking fragile and messy."

Hermione wasn't sure why, but there, for a heart stopping moment was a strange flutter in her stomach. "Do you really think it happened like that?" she asked, excited. "The book is only a re-imagining of the history of the four founders. I very much doubt that Hufflepuff and Slytherin were lovers but a lot of the other stuff seems possible to me."

"We'll never really know," Sirius shrugged, "but I can imagine Hufflepuff and Slytherin knocking boots," he smirked.

Hermione grimaced at him, and the strange moment was over.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Sirius asked.

"Read," Hermione answered.

"Apart from reading?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

Hermione shrugged, at a loss at what to say. "I don't really have fun", she admitted. All her free time went into trying to save the world.

Sirius rose from his seat and Hermione looked up at him confused. "Come on," he urged, holding out his hand, as he dumped a load of Muggle money on the table.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, taking his hand.

Sirius smiled at her, his hair blowing in the wind, his face flush with excitement and his grey eyes sparkling at her. Against her will, her heart skipped a beat.

"To have some fun," he answered.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **-}{**

Sirius' idea of fun was being hit by a ball zooming through the air too quickly for her liking.

"Rounders?" she frowned

"Baseball, actually," Sirius smirked.

Hermione stood surrounded by cages as Muggles cheered and screamed as they tried to hit a ball with a bat, with only a helmet to protect them. "This doesn't seem fun," Hermione grimaced, taking a wary step back.

Sirius rolled his eyes at her, taking a step forward and invading her personal space. He smelled nice, like cherry and smoke. "Stop thinking," he advised with a grin. "It's not as hard as it looks." With a smirk he stepped back and grabbed a bat and a helmet.

"Can't we just go back to shopping?" Hermione frowned.

The corners of Sirius' lips twitched as he fought to keep down his smile and, with a rueful shake of his head, he entered an empty cage. Hermione moved closer to get a better look as he moved into position, her eyes scanning over him, his jeans hung low, his t-shirt clinging to his skin.

A ball flew out of the machine at the other of the end of the cage and with a large crack, it connected with the bat, the motion sending it flying to the back of the cage.

"Woah," Hermione breathed, a flutter of excitement crawling up her spine.

Sirius whirled around, a cocky, smug grin on his face. He winked and she rolled her eyes, but the large grin on her face showed that she wasn't as annoyed as she tried to pretend to be. Sirius took a few more swings, each time connecting with the ball and sending it careening away. He walked out of the cage, all smug and prideful.

"Not bad," Hermione remarked.

"Not bad?" Sirius grinned, "Merlin, himself couldn't do any better."

"If your head gets any bigger, I doubt you'll be able to walk through those cage doors," she advised. Sirius grinned at her, delighted, and she shook her head at him. At some point, back when he'd been a defenceless infant, someone must have dropped him on his head.

Sirius held out the bat and she faltered. "I don't want to do it," Hermione said, shaking her head and taking a step back, "I'll just watch"

"Come on, Evans," Sirius urged. "It's really not as hard as it looks."

"I don't know how to do it," she argued.

"I'll show you," Sirius said and before she could refuse, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the cage, shoving the bat into her hands and the helmet on her head.

"Don't you need one?" she frowned, as he stood behind her without a helmet.

"I'll be fine" Sirius grinned, running a hand through his hair. "Now, arms up...yeah, just like that," he said. He positioned his hands to cover her own, his front firmly against her back and his arms enveloping her. "Okay, lower your left arm a bit," he advised. His head was mere inches from her own and his warm breath falling on her neck made it hard to focus.

"You don't have to tense so hard," he advised, "just a little pressure on the bat. Now, when the ball comes at you, count to two in your head and then just swing as hard as you can," he said, stepping away from her.

Scepticism washed over her, but she did as she was told and when the ball flew out of the machine, she mentally counted to two and then swung as hard as she could. Surprise and exhilaration quickly flooded her system as the bat connected with the ball, sending it soaring over the machine.

"Woah!" Sirius cheered, a large grin on his face. "That was better than me on my first try!"

Hermione smiled at the praise and then remembered exactly who was praising her and tried to wipe all emotions off her face. Sirius smirked at her, stepping back into her personal space.

"I think I can do it on my own now," she told him.

"Better to be safe than sorry," Sirius told her, the corners of his lips rising upwards. "You don't want the ball to hit you," he said. Hermione frowned but let him help her again.

They spent longer than she'd realised at the batting cages and Hermione had to drag a reluctant Sirius back out onto the streets to shop again. They stopped off at numerous stores, picking up last minute gifts.

"You know, away from school, you're not a complete prat," Hermione offered. The sun had long set, their shopping spree had led them to the heart of London and they were currently walking besides the river Thames.

Sirius snorted, amusement in his eyes. "Is that suppose to be a compliment?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded, shivering as a cold wind blew. Being at Hogwarts meant that she never had to worry about being cold, a quick warming charm had always done the trick and now she was sorely regretting not bringing her coat.

Sirius suddenly stopped, stripping his leather jacket off. Hermione realised what he was doing and instantly protested, "you don't have to-"

He draped his jacket over her before she could even finish. Hermione frowned guiltily, her eyes roaming over his thin black t-shirt.

"It's nothing, Evans" he said, a soft smile on his face.

With a reluctant sigh, Hermione put her arms through. The leather jacket was massive on her but it kept the cold wind at bay. "Thank you," she said.

He shrugged and started walking. With a smile he couldn't see, Hermione fell into step beside him.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **}{**

"So, how'd you and Fenwick become friends?" Sirius suddenly asked. They were sat on the Knight Bus, as it zoomed and zagged through the countryside.

"What?" Hermione frowned, at the odd question.

"You're a Muggleborn, so you couldn't have been friends before Hogwarts, but you sat with him on the train back in first year."

"You remember that?" Hermione said eyes wide.

"You were sat with Sniv…Snape," he quickly corrected.

Hermione ignored the slip of tongue and answered. "I met him in Gringotts on my first trip to Diagon Alley. He was trying to scare me about the Goblins," she grinned at the memory, "and then again on the train, and we've been friends ever since."

Sirius nodded, a frown on his face.

"What about you and Peter?" she asked, curious. Hermione had shared a dorm with plenty of girls over her lifetime, she knew better than anyone that sharing didn't mean you automatically became friends.

"I didn't actually like Peter at first," Sirius admitted, his grey eyes scanning her face for her reaction. "But Remus did and he kept forcing him on us and then Peter became James' personal cheerleader, so then James was hooked on him and so I just put up with him."

"So you're not friends?" she asked, confused.

"No, we are," Sirius said. "I like him now, but it took us a very long time to get to this stage."

"When did things change?" she asked curiously.

"Second year," he said, suddenly looking around at the other passengers on the bus. When he was satisfied that there was no one listening he added, "When we found out about Moony's little problem."

Hermione raised a brow in surprise as what she recognised as shame appeared on Sirius' face.

"When we first realised what he was, I was…surprised," he said, a frown marring his face. "In my head, I was completely freaking out," he admitted. "James didn't care, and I couldn't understand how he couldn't, but then Peter didn't care either," he shook his head. "Stupid tiny Wormtail wasn't afraid, so how in Merlin's beard could I be?"

Hermione nodded in understanding.

"It just showed me a different side to him," Sirius shrugged, "and then he stole your electives sheet at the end of the year and that cemented our friendship," he grinned.

"What!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

Sirius grinned, mischief dancing in his eyes. "I didn't tell him to do it," he quickly said.

"Then why did he?" Hermione asked, remembering how she had to go and ask McGonagall for a new sheet.

"I think he just got sick of me asking about your electives all the time," Sirius shrugged.

"Why would you have cared about my electives back in second year?" Hermione frowned.

Sirius hesitated before answering. "I was curious about you," he said slowly. "Did you honestly think it was a coincidence that we had every class together?"

"Yes," Hermione breathed.

"I hate Ancient Runes," Sirius laughed. "I'd much rather be in Divinations with the others."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but the conductor suddenly bellowed out, "Cokeworth!"

She quickly grabbed onto the handrail as the Knight Bus came to an abrupt halt. A few of the passengers weren't quick enough and they painfully toppled over or slammed against the walls. Hermione looked out of the window in surprise: the bus had stopped right in front of her house and on the porch steps, she could make out two figures.

"Come on," she told Sirius.

Sirius frowned at her, confusion in his eyes. "It's a bit too early to meet the parents," he said, a hint of fear in his voice.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "You're not meeting my parents, you're keeping up your end of the bargain," she told him, indicating the window.

Puzzled, Sirius rose up from his seat and looked out the window. He groaned aloud at the sight of Lily and Severus.

"Come on!" Hermione demanded, stepping out of the bus. With a reluctant sigh, Sirius followed after her.

"Best behaviour," she warned as they walked up her driveway, "or our deal is off." Sirius frowned but kept quiet.

Lily and Severus were oblivious to their presence, laughing at something Hermione had missed, each with a Butterbeer in their hand. Severus noticed them first, his smile transforming into a sneer as he laid eyes on Sirius. Lily's eyes widened as she took in who Hermione was with, her eyes lingering on the jacket Hermione still wore.

"Hey," Hermione grinned, coming to stop in front of the two.

"Where's Peter?" Lily frowned, her eyes narrowed at Sirius. No matter how many times Hermione had tried to explain, Lily just wouldn't move on from her belief that Sirius had tried to blow her up.

"He couldn't make it," Hermione answered, grabbing a seat on the porch next to Lily.

Sirius remained standing, glaring at Severus.

"Sirius," Hermione warned. His grey eyes slowly landed on her and with a huff, he sat down beside her, and as far away from Severus as he could. "What have you guys been up to?" Hermione asked.

Lily sent her a disbelieving look but answered anyway. "We did our Transfiguration homework and then Sev came over for dinner."

Sirius snorted and Hermione elbowed him as hard as she could.

"What have you two been up to?" Lily replied with a frown.

"Shopping," Hermione said.

"On a date," Sirius said at the same time.

Lily's disbelieving look only grew and there was a storm of anger brewing in her green eyes.

"I thought you had better taste," Severus darkly drawled, and Hermione elbowed Sirius before he was stupid enough to reply. He winced in pain but remained quiet.

"It's a long story," Hermione sighed.

In the end, Sirius sat in silence, ignoring everyone whilst Severus threw a handful of jibes and remarks his way before Lily stepped in and told him to be quiet.

She'd never admit it, but when it was all over, Hermione felt rather bad about putting Sirius in the situation.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **}{**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Last chapter hit 300 reviews, which is insane, thanks guys.**_

 _ **El.**_

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"What in Merlin's beard was that about?" Lily stormed into her room, hair sparking with anger.

Hermione closed her book in confusion, turning in her seat to face her twin.

"What was what about?" She questioned.

Lily put her hands on her hips, disbelief colouring her face. "Black!" She snapped

"Oh" Hermione breathed, opening her book up again. Sirius hadn't stuck around for long, desperate to get away from Snape.

Lily snatched the book out of her hands, "I'm being serious Hermione" Lily said, annoyance in her green eyes.

"Why are you so upset?" Hermione asked, puzzled "I was doing you a favour"

"By going on a date with that bully?" Lily raised a brow

"Yes" Hermione nodded. "Look, I made a deal with Sirius. Three dates and he leaves Severus alone for the rest of the school year"

Lily's look of disbelief only grew, "how on earth does that help Sev?" She demanded.

Hermione frowned in confusion, "by giving Severus a reprieve from the bullying, he could-"

"Stop thinking that Muggle Borns are useless, magic stealing vermin?" Lily cut her off.

Hermione balked, "he doesn't think that" she objected, "does he?" She frowned. She barely knew Severus but he wasn't like the other Slytherins, he didn't use derogatory words or attack innocent students.

Lily's anger slightly dimmed, "no" she frustratedly conceded "but his friends do" she snapped "and if he's alright with his friends thinking that, then maybe…"

"Maybe he thinks that way too" Hermione sighed.

Lily sat down on her bed, her shoulders hunched in defeat. "I can't believe things have got this bad" she sighed.

"What changed?" Hermione asked, "at the start of the holidays, you were determined to remain friends with him and now your…" her sentence petered out, unsure of how to say what she wanted to without offending Lily.

"I'm not giving up on him" Lily shook her head. "But I spent an entire day listening to him go on and on about Rosier, about how I should be careful when we get back to Hogwarts"

"And?" Hermione questioned, not seeing the issue.

"And, he still considers Rosier a friend" Lily chided "he knows what he says, what he _believes_ , that he could hurt me and that's not enough for Sev to walk away from him" she heaved a sighed "so no offence but getting Black to stop bullying him isn't going to change much"

"I was only trying to help" Hermione shrugged.

A dark glint appeared in Lily's bright green eyes "help who?" She asked, a strange tone in her voice.

"What?" Hermione questioned

"You're not stupid" Lily shook her head, "maybe this was your way of getting to date Black without any hassle from me?"

Hermione's eyes widened and a spark of righteous anger swirled in her stomach, "that's the stupidest thing you've ever said" she declared.

"Is it?" Lily demanded "first the Marigold's and now this"

Hermione shook her head at her, "You're being stupid. Just because your angry at Severus, doesn't mean that you can take it out on me"

Lily huffed, rising from her bed.

"Lily" Hermione called after her but she was out the door before she could even finish.

Hermione sighed, confused on exactly how she'd ended up wasting her time on petty arguments and Sirius Black when she had much bigger things to worry about.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

"Is this what having three daughter's is like?" Henry joked

Four pair of eyes glowered at him and he all but wilted in his chair. "Alright, not the morning for jokes" he awkwardly coughed.

Hermione's lip twitched as she tried to contain her smile. It was only a few days from Christmas Eve and the Evans household was lacking some Christmas cheer. Petunia was still moping over Nicholas and Lily and Hermione weren't on the best terms. It was odd for Henry and Viola, who had never seen the twins in any sort of argument before.

Hermione had clustered herself in her room, she was sure she knew exactly what went wrong with the watch, the only problem was that although she could minimise the damage to the wearer, it was all but impossible to do the same to the watch. Which meant that she now had the added problem of having to continuously create them, a rather grim prospect when the world was headed for war.

"Ahh!" Petunia shrieked, flinging her fork in fright. The Evans family jumped in surprise at the sound but quickly calmed when they identified the source of distress as an Owl at the window.

"Honestly, Tunie, it's only an Owl" Lily admonished, getting up to open the window.

"It's a vile little creature" Petunia growled, her face distorted in a mixture of fear and rage.

Lily sighed at her, as she untangled the newspaper tied to it's leg and came to sit back down, "it's perfectly harmless" she retorted.

Hermione's eyes scanned the front page, a sigh of relief escaping as she realised that there was no sign of the green skull and snake that was always displayed when an attack happened. Voldemort's attacks had increased over the holidays, but they were erratic and strange, with no clear target. The Ministry still didn't know who was behind it all.

"Someone broke into the Ministry!" Lily exhaled

Hermione frowned, confusion sweeping over her. She leaned closer to see what passage Lily was reading.

 _Ministry Break In._ Read the headline.

 _Although the Minister for Magic, Eugenia Jenkins has denied a break in, anonymous sources, tell us that there was indeed a break in last night. From reports we have deducted that a masked individual wearing a hooded robe, the same individuals that have been seen behind the recent attacks was behind the break in. Although we cannot figure out what was taken, as the Ministry refuses to cooperate, we can tell you that whatever it was, it was in the Department of Mysteries._

Hermione's blood ran cold.

"Department of Mysteries?" Lily frowned "what could possibly be in there?"

"Hermione?" Viola said with worry, "are you alright, dear, you're looking a little pale"

Hermione turned to face her. Heavy dread settled in her stomach as a tidal wave of memories tried to batter at her walls. "I'm fine" she managed to get past her throat. "I'm suddenly not feeling very well, I think, I'm going to go lie down" she rose out of her seat and hurried out of the room.

She threw her door open and then slammed it shut. She quickly ducked down and reached underneath her bed, where she'd hidden two of the watches she'd bought back from Hogwarts. She pulled out the small grey box and quickly stuffed it into her bag.

Whilst she was stuck at school, Voldemort was out there, killing innocent people and creating an army and it was driving her mad.

She grabbed her coat, along with her bag and wand and quickly walked down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Viola suddenly asked.

Hermione skidded to a halt, stopping in front of the dining room door.

"Benjy's" Hermione said truthfully.

"I thought you weren't feeling well?" Viola pushed

"I'm suddenly feeling better" Hermione replied, Viola opened her mouth but Hermione beat her to it, "Bye, guys" she said and with a wave she was off, ignoring Viola's cries, she ran out the door and down the driveway, her wand out before she'd even reached the end.

The Knight Bus appeared in an instant, the conductor opening the door with a swish, "where will it be, Miss?" He asked

"Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Fenwick, Residence" she replied, grabbing a seat by the windows and tightly holding onto the railings. With a lurch, the bus shot off at speeds far too quick for the naked eye.

Although she didn't have any solid proof on why Voldemort would break in to the Department of Mysteries, she could certainly guess, it was exactly why he'd broken into it back in 1995.

 _The Hall of Prophecy._

However he'd learnt of the prophecy, he either hadn't heard it all or he wanted to hear it again. For her own sake, Hermione hoped that it was far more obscure than Harry's prophecy had been.

With a lurch, the Knight Bus came to a sudden halt in front Benjy's House. Hermione quickly handed over the right amount of galleons and then exited the bus.

Benjy's house could hardly be described as a house, it was huge, with five floors and a gate that went all around the estate. Hermione tapped the cat ornament that was decorated at the centre of the gate with her wand, for just a moment, it's eyes flashed blue, indicating that someone on the other end was listening, Hermione leaned in and whispered her name.

The gate opened with a click, slowly swinging inwards and Hermione walked in, making her way through the fields that surrounded the Fenwick estate. Unlike most wizarding families, the Fenwick's were rather new to both the magical world and their vast amount of wealth.

Benjy's grandfather Isaac Fenwick had been a Muggle Born. He'd had a modest position at the Ministry and went on to marry a Half Blood, his one and only child had been Cecelia Fenwick, who'd eloped and married the Pure Blood Benjy Selwyn. Cecelia was both brilliant and beautiful, going on to make a fortune for herself. Her attributes however hadn't been enough to keep Benjy Selwyn, who'd walked out on her when she'd been carrying their child.

Although the tabloids were filled with over dramatic stories about Benjy and his Dad; rumoured arguments they'd had and over heard screaming matches with other members of the prestigious Selwyn family. Hermione was one of a handful of people alive, that knew the truth.

Benjy had never met his Dad and until Christmas back in her second year, he'd never received anything from the man.

In the end, it was Mr Selwyn's loss. Benjy was a one of a kind soul, he was the only person in the world she trusted to try out the latest versions of the watch and although his house didn't have the strongest of wards, they'd have to do as a test run.

She climbed up the steps to the great marble doors, to see Benjy already waiting for her. He was lean and tall, his curly hair had grown just past his ears with a bright yellow headband keeping it away from his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Benjy asked, a suspicious glint in his blue eyes.

Hermione grinned "so suspicious" she said, "can't one best friend just visit another best friend?" She asked

"Normal best friends, yes" Benjy conceded with a nod "but you" he said wagging a finger at her "are not normal" he smiled.

Hermione grinned, "I need your help" she admitted.

Benjy's lip twitched as he tried to stay firm but he was soon wearing a matching grin. "Come in" he sighed, walking into his house.

Hermione followed after him, coming to a sudden halt at the entrance of the lounge. She hadn't expected the house to be empty but she also hadn't expected the see the brunette reading on the couch.

"Babe" Benjy called and the girl that Hermione vaguely recognised looked up at him with a smile. She caught sight of Hermione and the smile faltered before she caught it and stretched it out, looking more like a grimace than the smile, that Hermione was sure she'd been going for.

"This is Hermione Evans" Benjy introduced "Hermione, this is Tiffany Kim, she's a sixth year Gryffindor"

"Hi" Hermione smiled, walking further into the lounge, finally realising where she knew the girl from "you're the Quidditch team Beater aren't you?"

"Yes" Tiffany awkwardly said, putting her book down and rising from her seat, "nice to meet you" she said, extending her hand out, Hermione warmly shook it but the warmth clearly wasn't reciprocated.

"Tiff, I'm sorry" Benjy said "I promised Hermione that I'd help her with homework"

Hermione's eyes widened, incredulous at the lie and she wasn't the only one.

"Homework?" Tiffany questioned, scanning Hermione from head to toe with a critical eye " _she_ need helps with homework?" the she came out rather cold, with a dark edge that made Hermione feel uncomfortable at what was clearly about to become a lover's tiff.

"Hermione isn't as clever as she'd like everyone to believe" Benjy smiled, throwing his arm around Hermione's shoulder. Hermione tried to step away, very much aware of Tiffany's ire but Benjy seemed uncaring.

"I thought we were going to spend the day together?" Tiffany demanded.

"Another time, babe" Benjy grinned and Hermione was sure that there would never be another time if Benjy didn't do some serious grovelling.

With a glare aimed rightfully at Benjy, Tiffany grabbed her book, stomped over to the fireplace, took a handful of floo powder and entered the fireplace, in a matter of seconds she was gone, engulfed in green flames.

"Did you not like her?" Hermione curiously asked.

"Oh, no, she's fucking perfect" Benjy grinned, ruffling Hermione's hair, sending her curls into a further state of disarray. Hermione smacked his hand away from her hair and then tried to pat it down in a semblance of order before quickly giving up.

"If you like her so much than why did you treat her that way?" She questioned

"Because I love pissing her off" Benjy beamed, his chest puffed out in pride.

Hermione shook her head at him. "If anyone ever treated me that way, I'd never speak to them again" she informed him

Benjy shrugged, non plussed "she likes when I grovel" he said with a smirk. "Anyway, you're not here to discuss my strange love life, you're here for my help, so how may I be of service?"

Hermione hesitated and then shook off the nerves, grabbing the small box from her bag. "I've sorted out all the kinks" she promised as she opened the box, Benjy leaned in and then jumped back when his blue eyes landed on the watches.

"No, no, no, no" he shook his head.

"Nothing, will go wrong" Hermione promised.

Benjy glared at her, his jaw tightening in anger.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "I'll do this with or without you" she warned, "but if I do it without you and something goes wrong, there will be no one around to take me to St Mungo's."

Tension coiled through Benjy's body, "why can't you just wait until we get back to Hogwarts?" he questioned

"Because time isn't a luxury that I have" she answered. It was half the truth, Hogwarts meant Dumbledore and she really didn't want to deal with that old man.

Benjy's shoulders slumped in defeat, "fine" he said with a shake of his head. He held his hand out for a watch.

"We do it exactly the same way" Hermione explained as she handed over one of the watches. "You walk past your wards, leave the watch on the ground and walk a few feet away" she instructed, seriously.

Benjy nodded, "give me ten minutes" he said in a clipped tone, striding out of the lounge.

Hermione shoved down the guilt as she watched him walk away. She wasn't sure who'd been kind enough to lead Benjy Fenwick into her life, but she thanked them nonetheless.

When the ten minutes were up, Hermione strapped the watch to her wrist, an undercurrent of fear clawing it's way up her throat. She heavily breathed out, steadying her hand as she reassured herself. The calculations were correct this time, she'd realised that she'd slightly screwed up the Kempura potion but minor alterations should make the watch work as it was suppose to.

She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, if it worked, it would be the first meaningful step in changing everything.

"Here goes everything" Hermione muttered, mentally bracing herself as she clicked the crown of the watch. A sudden pressure slammed into her, sweeping her off her feet and propelling her into the unknown.

This wasn't like the first time, when she couldn't even take a breath let alone concentrate. It didn't feel like she was free falling into oblivion, instead, it was more like, flying through the unknown. Everything was a mishmash of blurs, the scenery going by so fast that she couldn't make anything out.

The air ferociously whipped past, stinging her face and blowing her hair in every direction and then she hit it. The wards, it wasn't like hurtling into a wall like she'd expected or squeezing through a tiny tube, it was like sinking through Devil's snare, soft and springy, until she was suddenly on the other side, free falling straight towards the ground.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Hermione came to a stop mere feet from the ground and was gently lowered down. Her stomach wasn't very pleased, twisting and turning so much that she had to actively focus to not hurl all over Benjy, who'd run over as soon as she was safe on the ground.

Benjy's blue eyes scanned over her with concern, his eyes landing on her wrist. He suddenly reached out and grabbed it, bringing the watch closer to his face. It was utterly destroyed, burn from the inside out, but it worked.

It actually worked.

"You need to work on your landing" Benjy scolded, releasing her wrist.

Hermione nodded in agreement, too breathless to speak. She unstrapped the watch, letting it fall to the ground, she looked over her wrist, it looked a little pink, so she did a quick diagnostic charm, which thankfully showed that everything was as it should be.

"It worked" she said breathlessly, a slow grin forming on her face.

"You risked your life and years worth of Hogsmeade trips for a Portkey that can go through wards" Benjy stated unimpressed. "You can't even sell it" he huffed "because ward breaking and unregistered Portkeys are both _illegal"_ he hotly emphasised.

"I don't want to sell it" Hermione grinned.

"Then what are you going to do with it?" Benjy demanded.

Hermione shrugged, looking away from him, "who knows" she said "maybe it'll come in handy one day"

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

Hermione's argument with Lily came to an abrupt end, a day before they were due to go back to Hogwarts, courtesy of the Daily Prophet.

After the break in at the Ministry, attacks seemed to take place every day, Muggles, Squibs, Half Bloods, Muggle Borns, everyone except Pure Bloods seemed to be a target. Voldemort's skull and serpent sign seemed to be plastered all over the news.

The Ministry was beside itself and there were calls for Eugenia Jenkins to resign, the magical world hadn't cared all that much when it was defenceless Muggles and Muggle Borns disappearing and being slaughtered but now that _they_ were being targeted, the issue demanded serious action.

"He's got a name" Lily declared, holding the Daily Prophet in her hand.

Hermione raised her head from her book, to see Lily standing by her bedroom door.

"Oh, are you talking to me again?" Hermione wondered, genuinely curious.

Lily's opened her mouth to rebut but simply sighed and came to sit besides Hermione on the bed.

"I'm sorry" Lily apologised.

Hermione thought of holding a grudge but it was a silly argument that should never have had happened in the first place.

"You're forgiven" she conceded.

A soft smile appeared on Lily's face, "thanks" she said quietly.

Hermione shrugged it off and asked "who's got a name?"

Lily handed her the Daily Prophet, it was early in the evening, so it must have only just arrived, "Voldemort" she declared.

Hermione flinched at the name, eyes going wide as she took in the headline.

 _Voldemort's Reign Of Terror Begins as his Death Eaters set Diagon Alley Alight_ and right below it was a picture of Diagon Alley half destroyed, surrounded by robed figures wearing familiar white masks.

"He's got a name" Hermione agreed, heart rapidly beating in her chest and her palms going sweaty.

"Death Eaters" Lily scowled, a dangerous spark in her eyes, "how many Slytherin's are going to be calling themselves that now?" She wondered aloud.

They both knew what Lily was really worried about - how long until Severus Snape called himself one?

 **}{—}{—}{**

Back at Hogwarts, all anyone could talk about was Voldemort.

It was rather odd for Hermione, who'd never known a period where his name was bandied about so readily. He was all anyone wanted to discuss, they were all enthralled with a monster that wanted to rid the magical world of impurity.

"Why would he want to break in to Ollivanders?" Arlo mused aloud, pouring over the Daily Prophet, "I'd go straight for Gringotts" she declared.

Hermione tried to block out the conversation as she sat in the Great Hall for breakfast. It was only their third day back and she was thoroughly sick of hearing about the attack on Diagon Alley.

"That's because you're sane" Marlene said, "Voldemort clearly isn't. I mean who gives a shit about Ollivander's register, what in Merlin's name could he possibly gain from that"

Hermione raised her head, her interest piqued.

Arlo threw a look at the Slytherin table, their was a jovial mood there, an energy that the rest of the school lacked and in the middle, sat as the centre of attention, was Tony Rosier.

"The Slytherins are saying that he can use it to track Muggle Borns" Arlo tried to whisper, throwing Hermione and Lily who sat next to her, a guilty look.

"That's absurd" Hermione sighed, leaning over to take the Daily Prophet from Arlo. She tugged it out of her reluctant hands and scanned over the page, it was a small article, detailing personal belongings that had either been destroyed in the carnage or were presumed to be stolen. Amongst them, as Arlo had said, was Ollivander's register. It contained the name of every Witch and Wizard that had received a wand from Ollivander.

 _Why would Voldemort want that?_ She wondered.

The bell ringing, cajoled her out of her thoughts.

"Come on" Lily urged, a thrum of excitement in her voice, "it's time to meet the new Defence Professor"

Hermione groaned but dutifully followed along, it wouldn't do to skip out on the first lesson. Duelling classes were officially over, which meant the Gryffindor fifth years were back to Defence lessons with the Slytherins.

When they reached the fifth floor, they were met with a large group of students waiting around outside the classroom door, Slytherin's on one side of the door and Gryffindor's on the other.

"The Professor must not be here yet" Lily frowned.

"Hey, Snivellus!"

Hermione turned along with the gathered crowd to see James and Sirius with Peter and Remus trailing behind them, walking past the Slytherin's.

Severus drew his wand out of his pocket, tightly holding it in his hand. James opened his mouth but then Sirius wrapped his hand around his arm and with a brisk "leave it" tugged him away.

Lily raised a brow at the sight, "he's actually sticking to it" she said bemused.

"Sticking to what?" Arlo asked

"Nothing" Hermione quickly replied, perhaps a little too quickly, because Arlo gave her a funny look.

The door to Defence suddenly swung open and a Witch with long brown hair, perhaps in her mid thirties, with hazel eyes, stepped into the hallway.

"What are you all doing out here?" She demanded, "get in, all of you, quickly."

The fifth years shuffled in, the two Houses sitting as far from each other as possible.

The Professor frowned at the sight, her eyes lingering on the row of empty chairs that separated the two sides.

"Welcome!" The Professor smiled, the chalkboard behind her coming to life. The chalk levitated and of it's own accord began writing on the board "I am your new Defence against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Meadowes" she introduced herself, "now I know a new Professor in the middle of your Owls year isn't ideal but unfortunately your previous Professor proved himself to be rather negligent" she shrugged, her eyes moving across the room and stopping on Hermione.

Although it seemed nothing more than a cursory glance, Hermione mentally flinched as for the first time in fifteen years her mental shields rose up, shoving out the foreign magical signature.

"Hermione?" Lily whispered in worry, her green eyes on Hermione's tightly balled fists.

"I'm fine" Hermione whispered back, her eyes firmly on Professor Meadowes, who gave no indication that anything was amiss.

"Not to worry" Professor Meadowes smiled, her eyes back on the class "I've spent the past five years in charge of running the Auror program at the Ministry" she said, "I've read all of your school reports and I'm certain that if I can turn young men and woman into seasoned warriors, then I can get you all through your Owls" although it sounded harmless enough, their was an undercurrent of determination, her eyes once again resting on Hermione.

The chalk finished it's writing, "your next topic for this term" Professor Meadowes said, indicating the board behind her. Written in bold, right at the top of the board was the word _'Patronus Charm.'_

"Now who can tell me what a Patronus is?" Professor Meadowes asked.

Various hands rose up, including Lily who sat next to Hermione.

"Ms Evans" Professor Meadowes said.

"The Patronus c-"

"Not you Ms Evans" Professor Meadowes stated, cutting Lily off.

Confusion rippled through the class as everyone raptly watched the exchange.

"The _other_ Ms Evan" Professor Meadowes said.

The classes eyes landed on Hermione, who sat with a small frown on her face.

"I didn't raise my hand" Hermione said, stating the obvious.

A predatory grin appeared on Professor Meadowes' face "I am aware of that Ms Evans" she said "but you do know the answer" she claimed.

Hermione's frown deepened.

Professor Meadowes flicked her wand and a roll of parchment appeared in her hand, with a lazy flick the parchment unfurled, expanding until the bottom of it rested on the floor, it was at least six feet long.

"Brilliant but lazy" Meadowes read, her eyes flickering to Hermione before continuing "Ms Evans shows an aptitude for magic, the likes of which I have never seen before, however, her arrogance and disregard limits her talent. She does the bare minimum that she can get away with, often missing class, she asks for no extra work and has no wish to test her limits, her laziness is an unfortunate hindrance"

The Slytherin side of the class burst into laughter, Tony Rosier the loudest of the lot.

"Do you know what this is?" Meadowes demanded of Hermione.

"My school report" Hermione said in a clipped tone, not at all amused.

"Precisely" Meadowes smiled, the parchment disappearing, her eyes sweeping across the room, the look in them silencing the Slytherins. "My job for the remainder of the year, isn't to just ensure that you pass your Owls" she said "it is to push you to your limits, to break you and then build you up again. I will not tolerate laziness or wilful disobedience" she warned "if you know an answer to a question, you raise your hand" she tersely stated.

"Now, Ms Evans, please tell the class what a Patronus charm is" she demanded.

Hermione sat, her shoulders tense, anger radiating off of her, but she answered nonetheless "it's one of the most powerful defensive charms to exist" she breathed "however it's only effective against Dementors"

"Well done, Ms Evans" Professor Meadowes said, "Now, who knows what a Patronus looks like?"

Far more hands went up in the air this time, Meadowes raised a brow at Hermione, who begrudgingly raised her hand along with the class.

"That's more like it" Meadowes grinned.

By the end of class, Hermione wasn't the only person to be publicly humiliated, Meadowes wasn't like any Professor they'd had before, she was relentless and unethical, with an unusual interest in Hermione.

"Ms Evans, could you please stay behind for a moment" Meadowes asked

Lily hesitated as the class shuffled out of the room.

"She means me" Hermione sighed.

"Indeed I do" Meadowes grinned.

"I'll be right outside" Lily told her.

When the class emptied out, Hermione grabbed her bag and reluctantly made her way to the Professor's desk. "Yes, Professor" she asked.

Just like the first time, there was no warning, no indication, but whilst Professor Meadowes' first attempt had been nothing more than a soft touch, a glance at most, this time it was like a sledge hammer hitting her head as foreign magic tried to rip her shields to shred, all subtlety went out the window.

Hermione had spent years mastering Occlumency in the worst conditions one could imagine, her shields weren't paper thin, her mind wasn't a box one could just unlock, it was a fortress, with secret passages, cursed walls, boobytraps and monsters the like of which people dared not to think of.

She was a Legilimens worst nightmare.

Professor Meadowes flinched as she was thrown out of Hermione's mind, her hand coming to rest on her temple.

The air was thick with tension as Professor and student glared at each other.

"Is that all, Professor?" Hermione asked.

Meadowes' brown eyes gave nothing away, she plastered on a small smile and said "yes, Ms Evans"

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

 **See you next week.**

 **El.**


	14. Chapter 14

_A huge thank you to my Beta Nightgigjo, who just made everything so much better. All mistakes in this chapter are mine. Also I realised that today is the 26 of October. I posted the very first chapter on the 26 of July, exactly three months ago. A huge thank you to all of you because I surely would have given up weeks ago if it wasn't for your kind words._

 _El._

}{—-}{—-}{

"Why didn't you tell me?" Arlo quietly demanded. It was lunchtime and Hermione was fighting off a headache, so the last thing she needed was Arlo on her case.

"Tell you what?" Hermione asked, rubbing her temple. She was nestled in a quiet corner in the library, where she'd hidden out for her free period. It had been years since she'd enacted her mental shields against an attack and the strain had proven to be great.

Arlo gave her a disbelieving look. "Tell me about Benjy and that girl" she whispered heatedly.

Hermione was momentarily confused. "What gi- oh," she breathed in realisation.

"Oh!" Arlo demanded, leaning closer. "Benjy gets a girlfriend and I have to find out from the school rumour mill?" she questioned.

Hermione mentally groaned. After the morning she'd had, the last thing she needed was Arlo on her case about something so frivolous.

"I'm sorry," she shrugged, "I didn't even know about her until Christmas break and even then, I didn't really ask him about it."

Arlo frowned, leaning back in her seat. "You're supposed to be my best friend."

"Yes," Hermione agreed, "not your spy," she added tersely.

Arlo's eyes widened and her face flushed in anger. "Oh, I'm _sorry_ ," she said sarcastically. "I didn't realise being my friend was such a burden to you."

"Arlo I didn't mean-"

"Forget it," she snapped, rising up from her seat and walking off before Hermione could say anything.

"Fuck," Hermione groaned.

Her week didn't get any better after that. Although Professor Meadowes laid off the legilimency attacks, the jarring words and dark looks didn't waver, nor did the air of tension that clung to the walls of Hogwarts.

Hermione savoured every moment away from the castle walls, choosing to spend what little free time she had away from her projects and school work to spend with Benjy. Normally Benjy was great company, this particular day however, his mood was sour.

"You got detention?" Hermione asked in amazement.

"Yeah," Benjy scowled, his eyes straying to the crowd of Slytherins by the lake. "Along with Black and Lupin."

"Remus!" Hermione breathed, barely able to believe it. "Why?"

"Those fucking Slytherins seem to think that they can do whatever they like to Hufflepuffs," Benjy spat, glowering at them. "A crowd of them were bothering some third year 'Puff, so I put a stop to it. Next thing I know wands are out and Black and Lupin are there," he huffed.

"Right," Hermione exhaled. "I'm sorry that happened," she told him.

Benjy shrugged, his body tight with tension. "This school is going to the dogs," he growled.

Hermione leaned back, following his gaze. "The whole world is going to the dogs," she corrected.

The January air was brisk but there was a small streak of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Although there were a few students mulling about, most preferred the warmth of the castle.

"Oh, would you look at that at," yelled Mulciber, loud enough for anyone within a mile to hear. Hermione followed his line of sight and a strange surge of guilt shot through her body as she saw exactly what had caught Mulciber's attention. Sirius and Peter were walking across the grounds, right past the Slytherins who walked across their path so that they couldn't go any further.

"Come on," Benjy sighed, rising to his feet, "I owe Black a favour."

Although reluctant to get involved, Hermione got up and together the two made their way to the gathered crowd.

"Why, if it isn't the little blood traitor!" Rosier spat. He was stood at the front, next to Mulciber.

Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd. There were five of them: Mulciber, Rosier, Avery, Travers and Snape.

Sirius didn't look angry or worried, just rather bored. "Fuck off," he said nonchalantly, trying to sidestep the crowd.

Mulciber followed after him, blocking his path. "Is that the way you speak to your betters?" he demanded.

"Perhaps when he sees someone of better worth, he'll be politer," Hermione interrupted, coming to stand by Sirius' side.

Sirius snorted, a smile on his face at the sight of her.

"You'd think a Mudblood would know her place by now," Rosier growled, hatred in his eyes as he glared at her.

Sirius moved to draw his wand, but Benjy beat him to it, brandishing the tip of his wand against Rosier's throat. "Why don't we all just behave?" he smiled. "Take your snakes and _leave_ ," he demanded.

Rosier hesitated for a moment, before thinking better of it. "Let's go," he snapped, stalking off with the snakes behind him. Mulciber shot her a glare and Severus avoided looking at them altogether.

"That was close," Peter exhaled, his face a little green.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed with a sigh, his grey eyes on Hermione. "We had that covered, but thanks, I suppose," he grumbled.

"It was Benjy's idea," she said with a smile.

"I owed you one," Benjy shrugged. "Besides in this climate, it's best we all look out for each other."

Sirius nodded, clearly uncomfortable. "Thanks, anyway," he shrugged awkwardly. "Come on, Peter," he said, walking away without another word.

"That was odd," Benjy noted, when Peter and Sirius were too far away to hear them.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, her eyes still on Sirius.

"He's normally trying to come up with a reason to talk to you," Benjy said, "and now he's practically running away."

Hermione frowned, unable to disagree with him. "Maybe he has other things on his mind," she shrugged, turning away from the pair. "Come on," she told Benjy, "we've still got to finish your Herbology homework."

}{—-}{—-}{

After a week of theory work on the Patronus, the fifth years were finally allowed to try and produce a corporeal Patronus. The Slytherins and Gryffindors stood as far apart from each other as possible, with the desks and chairs shoved up against the walls.

"There are no wand movements for the Patronus, but it is very, very advanced magic," Professor Meadowes warned. "As you've read in your textbooks, the key is not the incantation, but the memory you use: the happier the better."

"Now" Meadowes said, "you'll all take turns trying to perform the charm, I suggest you really think about which memory you want to use, you could be Merlin himself and still screw up if it isn't happy enough" she continued, "so, who wants to go first?" She asked

No one stepped forward.

"Very well then" Meadowes said, "Mr Pettigrew," she barked, making Peter yelp and all but jump out of his skin.

"Ye-yes, Professor," he stuttered under her glower, and the Slytherins all mocked and laughed at him.

"Why don't you go first?" she demanded.

Peter's eyes widened and he took a jittery step back, "I do..I don't thi-"

" _Now_ , Mr Pettigrew!"

With a grimace, Peter stepped forward until he was stood in the centre of the room.

"Wand up," Professor Meadowes scowled, and this time even some of the Gryffindors laughed at him.

Peter held up his wand, took a deep breath, and said "Expecto Patronum!" as loudly as he could. The class watched intently, all eyes on him. The seconds ticked by without a sound until the Slytherins burst into raucous laughter at poor Peter, who'd failed to produce anything, not even a bit of light.

"That is quite enough," Meadowes said sternly, a dark look at the Slytherins shutting them right up. "You may go back, Mr Pettigrew."

Peter shuffled back to his friend's side with his shoulders drooped and his head hung low.

"It's alright, Peter," Remus said quietly, a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"What Mr Pettigrew experienced is exactly what I expect most of you shall deal with," Meadowes warned. "Not every witch or wizard can produce a Patronus, especially not on their first try. Thank you, Mr Pettigrew, that was a good effort."

Her praise had no effect on Peter's sour mood. He slouched against a desk, a scowl on his face at the tittering Slytherins.

"Mr. Snape," Meadowes called out.

Unlike Peter, Severus wasted no time in striding over to the centre of the room, his shoulders back and his head held high.

"Now, Mr. Snape, remember, the key is your memory. The happier it is, the stronger your Patronus shall be."

"He doesn't have any happy memories!" James called out and the Gryffindors—excluding the Evans twins—burst out into laughter. Lily glowered at James, but he was too busy revelling in the laughter to notice.

"Detention, Mr Potter—tonight," Meadowes said icily.

"I can't tonight," James said proudly. "I'm booked in for one with Professor Flitwick."

"Then _tomorrow_ evening," she demanded.

"I've got one with Sprout," he all but bragged, a large grin on his face and his hazel eyes alight.

"Then the day after," Meadowes said in a clipped tone.

James nodded in agreement, his eyes eagerly landing on Lily, who was more aghast than impressed at his performance.

"Mr. Snape," Professor Meadowes repeated.

Severus held up his wand and, with tense shoulders, said, "Expecto Patronum!"

A small wisp of silver flew out from the tip of his wand before vanishing in a blink of an eye.

It was the Gryffindors' turn to laugh. Severus gritted his teeth in anger as he stalked back to the Slytherin side.

"Very good first try, Mr Snape," Meadowes said. "Now Mr Potter, since you have such a desperate craving for attention, allow me to fulfil it."

The Slytherins' laughter did nothing to diminish James' confidence. He strutted to the centre of the room with a large grin on his face. He held up his wand and said "Expecto Patronum!"

A bright wisp of silver appeared on the tip, flowing out of the wand for a few seconds before vanishing. Before anyone could laugh at him, James gave an exaggerated bow and the Marauders burst into applause. He'd performed no better than Severus, but from the jubilant reactions, you'd think he'd actually managed to cast a fully formed Patronus.

"Mr. Avery," Meadowes said.

Avery did no better than Snape or Potter, but he managed to produce a speck of silver at least.

"Ms. Evans," Meadowes called.

They needed no further explanation on _which_ Ms. Evans she was referring to. The way Meadowes acted, Hermione doubted that she even knew of Lily's existence.

Hermione stepped up without a single doubt, conjuring the memory she'd always used, the same one she'd used when she was fifteen and learning from Harry, the same one she'd used for countless years when one by one everything good was taken from her: It was of her parents, or more specifically, of the day the Granger family had found out that Hermione was a witch, how they hadn't cared at all. It was the very first day in which she'd thought, 'I'm not a freak after all.'

She held onto it tightly, shoving down all the recent news that tried to ruin that memory: how they were dead and lifeless now, six feet under ground. They'd never hold her again, they'd never look at her, they'd never grow old.

"Ms. Evans!"

Hermione startled in place, faltering on her choice of memory, but she'd never used another. She wouldn't know which one to even consider. She held up her wand. It didn't matter, she convinced herself: this memory was good enough.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Everyone, including Hermione watched with baited breath. There was no stream of silver.

No wisp of a form. Not even a spark at the tip of her wand.

Nothing happened.

The laughter was both cruel and mocking, louder than anything Peter had received. Hermione's eyes were glued—fixated—to the tip of her wand, astonishment resonating through her. Her mind was unable to properly realise exactly what had happened for a few moments.

 _She'd_ failed to produce a Patronus?

The thought was jarring, leaving her incredulous. She'd failed to produce a charm that, once upon a time, she could practically perform in her sleep.

Meadowes wasn't filled with glee as Hermione had expected her to be. She was frowning, her brown eyes filled with confusion and she wasn't the only one. The Gryffindors sat in silence, perplexed at what had just happened.

"Again," Meadowes said, a steel glint in her eyes.

Hermione frowned and faltered. A happy memory was the key, and her one and only cherished memory wasn't good enough.

"It's not that simple," she argued feebly.

"Pick a different memory," Meadowes demanded.

The Slytherins had long since fallen silent, watching along with the Gryffindors as the tension in the room turned stifling.

Hermione hesitated. Which memory could she even pick?

Meadowes tilted her head towards Lily. "Is your family unloving?" she inquired.

"What?" Lily gawked in amazement. Everyone's eyes were now on her.

"Well, are they?" Meadowes barked.

"No!" she snapped, green eyes flashing in anger.

Meadowes turned her eyes on Hermione. "Then I see no reason for your failure, Ms. Evans. Pick a memory and get to it!"

Hermione hesitated for a few moments and then raised her wand, her mind whirling as she tried to pick a memory. Her parents wouldn't do, so she focused on memories before the world went to shit, one from her early Hogwarts years with Harry and Ron. The end of year feast, she decided, when Dumbledore had awarded all three of them along with Neville points, winning them the House Cup.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Once again, nothing happened.

Meadowes sighed in disappointment. "Detention, Ms Evans, Friday night." she declared.

Frustrated with herself, Hermione nodded in acceptance before making her way back to the Gryffindors.

"Forget her," Lily whispered, "she's just awful."

Hermione leaned back against the desk, her head hung low, as miserable as Peter had been.

}{—-}{—-}{

The next few days were amongst her strangest at Hogwarts. The Slytherins mocked her at every turn, which rather irritated her, as not a single one of them had produced a Patronus either. After her Defence class, she'd skipped out on the rest of the day and spent it in the room of requirement, determined to produce a Patronus.

Three days later and she'd produced nothing more than weak wisps. Out of all her stumbles and problems in this life, producing a Patronus had never once crossed her mind as a possible issue to prepare for.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked curiously. Defence was in the opposite direction.

"Not to Defence Against the Dark Arts, that's for sure," she grinned.

"Hermione," Lily frowned, a stern look in her eyes.

"Bye, Lily," she smiled, giving her a wave before climbing the stairs two at a time.

In yesterday's Defence, half the class had produced a strong stream of silver and at least the other half had produced a thin stream. Hermione was the only that had yet to go beyond meagre sparks. Meadowes had been unsparing in her mockery, so instead of suffering through that again, Hermione made her way to the seventh floor, where she'd be able to work in peace.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts, that she didn't spot Sirius until she'd almost walked right past him. He sat on the window sill, his eyes fixed on the horizon, completely unaware of Hermione's presence.

Hermione frowned and came to a stop. The room of requirement was right there but her chance of using it had massively diminished.

"Black?" Hermione called out, stepping closer.

Sirius was confused at the sight of her. "Evans," he asked, "shouldn't you be in Defence?"

A soft smile appeared on Hermione's face, "I could ask you the same thing," she replied, coming to sit next to him on the window sill.

Sirius had been off this whole week, distracted and disengaged. It put her in an odd situation. He was the one that always came looking for her, the one that started off their conversations, the one that had worked so hard to try and form some sort of connection with her. _Why would anyone want to connect with someone so damaged?_ she wondered. He was mad, although once upon a time, she'd blamed the madness of Azkaban.

"Why are you skipping Defence?" he inquired, running a hand through his curly hair.

"I hate Meadowes," Hermione shrugged.

"I think the feeling's mutual in that department," Sirius smirked.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "So why are you skipping?"

Sirius exhaled, his grey eyes looking back to the horizon, gazing past the grounds and Hogsmeade village, all the way up to the mountains beyond.

"I hate the Slytherins," he shrugged, his grey eyes coming back to land on her.

A surge of guilt settled in Hermione's stomach. "If this is about our deal," she hastened to say, "you don't have to do it."

"Trying to get rid of me already?" he smirked, but there was something deeper in his eyes, something dark brewing amongst the grey.

"No, I'm serious-"

"Actually, I think you'll find that I'm Sirius," he joked.

Hermione huffed out a breath. "Does that joke never get old?" she questioned, remembering all the times he'd used it when he was a lot older.

"I've never used it on you," Sirius stated, pleased with himself.

"I can imagine that you've been using it your whole life," Hermione retorted.

"I think you'll have to get use to my bad jokes," he grinned, a spark breaking through all the darkness. "I was planning to use that on our wedding day."

Hermione grinned, shaking her head at him.

They both fell quiet, staring out the window to watch the horizon.

"It isn't Snape," Sirius spoke up suddenly, making eye contact with her. "When it comes to Snivellus, James is doing more than enough to make up for my absence."

Hermione hesitated on whether she should ask what it was, if not Snape, that was bothering him.

"It's just family stuff" Sirius supplied with a sigh.

Hermione thought of the portrait that had been up at Grimmauld Place of Walburga Black, screeching at them all. She doubted that the woman was any nicer alive.

"Oh," she sighed, "I'm sorry."

Sirius stared at her, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"What?"

"You can tell me to shut up, if I'm crossing the line," he said quickly, "but your family are…well, they're decent aren't they?" he asked, his body tight with tension, eyes filled with worry.

Hermione laughed in surprise, Henry and Viola Evans were more than decent in every aspect.

"Of course they are! What in Merlin's name would make you think that they weren't?" she demanded, scrutinising him.

Sirius hesitated, uneasy about what he was about to say, he opened his mouth but Hermione beat him to it.

"Because I can't produce a Patronus," she sighed.

"You can't think of a happy enough memory," Sirius agreed, "and even I can do that."

Hermione didn't like the way he'd said that, like his life was so miserable that some happiness would come as a surprise to him.

"Maybe I just have such a trove of happy memories that I'm struggling to pick one?" she hedged.

Sirius snorted. "Yeah, yeah," he sighed, grinning at her.

Hermione couldn't help it, she grinned back.

}{—}{—-}{

Friday night detention wasn't exactly what Hermione had pictured it. Instead of cleaning up or digging up plants, Hermione had walked in to Meadowes' office only to be marched down to Hagrid's hut along with Mary MacDonald and Mulciber.

"You'll be helping Hagrid here collect Shrivelfigs in the Forest," Meadowes announced sternly.

Mulciber paled, his face going stark white. "In there?!" he demanded, pointing at the Forbidden Forest.

"Is there another Forest around here?" Meadowes asked darkly.

"But, there are-" Mulciber cut himself off, his voice a few octaves higher than normal.

"There are what, Mr Mulciber?" Meadowes demanded.

"Centaurs!" Mulciber snapped. "Filthy half breeds!" His gaze went to Hagrid, whose shoulders drooped slightly.

"Stop being such a baby," Mary demanded.

Mulciber bristled, standing at his full height so that he towered over the girl.

"That's enough!" Meadowes snapped. "You are all to be on your best behaviour. If I hear otherwise from Hagrid, then you'll be spending every single Friday night in the Forest, is that understood?"

The three fifth-years reluctantly nodded.

"Good luck, Hagrid," Meadowes said and with a final look of warning, walked away.

"Right," Hagrid declared, an awkward manner to his movements. Mulciber still glaring at him really wasn't helping. "The Shrivelfigs only grow in the North and the East of the Forest," he began.

"The East!" Mulciber croaked.

"Don't worry, lad, that isn't Centaur territory," Hagrid rushed to reassure him. "Best we split up into two groups-"

"I'll take the North," Mulciber cut him off.

"In that case, I'll take the East," Mary said quickly.

"I'll go with her!" Hermione piped up immediately afterwards.

Hagrid frowned. The thought of being alone with Mulciber was a rather unpleasing one. "Alright then," he huffed reluctantly, "best get to work."

}{—}{—}{

"Who knew that Mulciber was such a coward?" Mary laughed.

Hermione was on edge, wand out, ready for anything that the Forest could throw at them. She'd let her dislike of Mulciber cloud her judgement and now she was mentally kicking herself for it.

"He was a little too eager to avoid this section of the Forest," she frowned, thinking back to his behaviour.

"The North is closest to Hogwarts," Mary shrugged. "He's probably just petrified to go any deeper than he has to."

"Maybe," Hermione shrugged, wand still out, ready to use.

"There they are!" Mary exclaimed. Only a few feet away was a whole patch of Shrivelfigs.

"Let's just get them and go" Hermione said, her heart beating a little too fast as a cold breeze blew against her.

Mary kneeled down, opening up the sack that Hagrid had given them. "Hold this," she said.

Hermione took the sack in one hand and held her wand in the other, keeping an eye on their surroundings. The breeze died down, leaving a cold chill in its wake. Hermione performed a quick warming charm but it had little effect, the cold biting deeper into her skin.

"Hermione," Mary said suddenly, her voice oddly strained.

"Yeah?" Hermione replied, sure that it was darker than it been mere moments ago.

"Do Shrivelfigs freeze over?" Mary asked, oddly hopeful.

"What? No, why-" Hermione's question was answered when she turned and looked at exactly what was bothering Mary. The small patch of Shrivelfigs, perhaps twelve in total, were slowly freezing over.

"We need to go!" Hermione urged, taking note of the unnatural cold and darkness. "We need to go now!" She held out her wand, but what good would it do against such creatures?

Mary rose up, not daring to question Hermione but it was too late. They were suddenly plunged into darkness, the stars losing their brightness.

"Lumos," Hermione spoke and a bright light appeared at the tip of her wand, but its brightness quickly dimmed.

"Hermione," Mary whispered, petrified, "can you hear that?"

Hermione nodded, the rattling breath clearer by the second. "Run!"

At once the two ran, leaving behind the sack and the Shrivelfigs, desperate to escape the Dementor chasing after them. They stumbled on through the Forest, tripping over things they couldn't see, the Dementor's presence evoking their worst memories.

Hermione tripped over a branch, which sent her sprawling to the cold ground.

"Run!" She told Mary but the girl refused to listen, instead running back, putting herself between Hermione and the Dementor.

"Expecto Patronum!" Mary called out, a great big streak of silver appeared out of the tip of her wand. For a single moment, they were both relieved. Then the Dementor, with its black cloak and scabbed and rotting hands, appeared out of the darkness and the streak of silver disappeared.

Hermione rose to her feet as the Dementor glided towards Mary. Voices and memories she'd long ago locked away surged to the forefront of her memory.

" _Take Teddy!"_

" _Aunt Hermy!"_

Screams and blood, so much blood.

Mary's knees buckled and she fell to the ground, the sight snapping Hermione out of her stupor.

She raised her wand, trying desperately to think of a happy memory. "Expecto Patronum!" She cried but it failed to work. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"

The Dementor looked away from Mary, gliding over her body and over to Hermione.

" _Expecto Patronum!_ " she roared, desperate for it to work. _Please,_ she begged, _please work._ " _Expecto-_ " she choked on her memories, her knees giving way as the Dementor hovered over her.

" _Mum didn't make it,"_ the memory of Ginny came to her.

" _They gave them the Kiss, Hermione,"_ Luna's ghost echoed in her mind.

" _Don't they get a funeral? Or a little rock like Uncle Ron?"_ piped up Teddy's young voice.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A great big silver stag burst into the area, banishing away the Dementor.

" _I want Uncle Harry, please bring him back,_ "Teddy was crying again.

"Hermione!"

Someone was holding her.

"Fuck! Wormtail, run back to school! Get Madam Pomfrey now!"

Someone with messy black hair.

 _Harry?_

}{—}{—}{

Hermione woke up to multiple voices arguing a few feet away. She groaned, her head painfully throbbing, as it all came back to her. She bolted upright, her mind trying to piece together the situation before her.

She was in the hospital wing, still dressed in her uniform instead of the usual gown, so she couldn't have been out for long. She crept to her feet, quietly so as not to attract the attention of the voices on the other side. She grabbed her wand off the side table and drew back the curtains just a bit.

Mary was in the bed next to her, unconscious. In the middle of the ward, were the Marauders arguing with Madam Pomfrey.

She cast a disillusionment charm, rendering herself invisible and then another charm to silence her footsteps. She crept quietly past her bed, walking towards the door, unaware of two Marauders whose gazes followed after her.

Hermione made her way out of the Hospital Wing. Right now it was the last place in the world that she wanted to be. With a heavy heart and a troubled mind, Hermione snuck out of the castle, coming at last to sit by Hagrid's hut, her back against one of the various pumpkins he had dotted about the place, her eyes on a small group of Thestrals that had settled across the grounds, by the edge of the Forest.

She was used to failure. Her whole life, she'd never been enough. Her intelligence, her quick thinking...in the end, none of it had made a difference.

She'd failed Harry, having to watch as Voldemort cut him down.

She'd failed Ron, running off with Teddy as the werewolf pack mauled him to death.

She'd failed Teddy, unable to save him as the safe house blew up.

Again and again, no matter what she did, it had never been enough. And now, all her planning, all her careful thinking, it was all proving to be useless. All because she couldn't perform a fucking Patronus. First her parents, dead long before their time because of her, and now she'd almost ended up dead along side Mary MacDonald, who'd only stayed to save her.

The sound of ruffling came from behind her and then a heavy sigh as a warm body sat down next to her on the ground. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Hermione watching the Thestrals and he…well, she wasn't quite sure what he was watching.

"Madam Pomfrey's looking for you," Sirius breathed out, his voice gruff and hoarse, ringing with worry.

Hermione sat in silence, wallowing in her guilt.

"That Dementor wasn't supposed to be anywhere near Hogwarts," he sighed, unsure of what to say.

"I should have been able to protect myself," Hermione managed to utter. All her planning, all her risks, all the trouble and she'd almost ended up dead thanks to a Dementor. She turned from the Thestrals, connecting with Sirius' grey eyes. "If I could produce a Patronus-" she began

"If that thing hadn't been anywhere near-" he began to argue.

"If I hadn't been so helpless!" she snapped, eyes stinging with tears as the memories the Dementor had fed on flooded through her.

Harry screaming.

Ron howling.

Teddy dying.

She rubbed at her eyes, furious with herself. That wasn't going to happen, not this time around.

Whatever he saw on her face broke through Sirius' worry. He huffed, his hand coming to rest atop her own trembling ones. "You can't be good at everything," he sighed.

Brown eyes connected with grey. "I have to be good at this," she said through gritted teeth.

Sirius searched her face, his gaze lingering on her eyes. "Alright," he nodded. Suddenly he rose to his feet, and with a small grin, he held out his hand. "You're going to perform that charm—tonight," he vowed.

Hermione stared up at him confused, her guilt and anger cracking to make way for something new, something she couldn't entirely identify.

"Come on, Evans," Sirius urged.

Hermione faltered for a moment, before throwing her doubts to the wind, firmly clasping Sirius' hand. Hermione Granger had felt the sting of failure but she was Hermione Evans now, and one misstep, one moment of failure, would not define the rest of her life.

}{—-}{—-}{


	15. Chapter 15

**A huge thank you to my Beta, Nightgigjo, I only sent the chapter to her today and she still managed to find the time to go over it.**

 **If you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know that as a thank you for hitting 400 reviews, I dropped a small teaser on Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday, but I still wanted to say a massive thank you to all of you. If you want to talk about the story, Tumblr is honestly the best place to find me.**

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **-}{**

"What are we doing here?" Hermione questioned, her eyes scanning the barren wasteland that was the top of the mountains that bordered Hogsmeade village. In the horizon she could spot the outline of Hogwarts castle, lit up against the night sky.

"This," Sirius said opening his arms wide to indicate their surroundings, "is my happy memory."

Hermione frowned at him, her body weary and her eyes heavy. "Nice," she deadpanned.

Sirius snorted, coming to stand next to her. "It doesn't look like much does it?" he softly smiled, looking around the area. "Memories aren't black and white, Evans," he said. "One man's barren mountaintop is another man's most treasured place."

Hermione looked up at him, confused. "How does any of that help me?" she asked.

Sirius smiled at her. "You've got happy memories, Hermione," he said, assured and confident. "You just need help figuring them out," he shrugged, shaking his head.

"You think I haven't tried," Hermione sighed. If it was as easy as yanking a memory from the depths of her mind, she wouldn't have almost died.

"I think sometimes we struggle to look at things objectively," Sirius said. "I can help with that."

"You don't view me objectively," Hermione shook her head.

"I view you very highly," Sirius retorted, "and for some reason, you view yourself rather lowly."

Hermione's breath hitched at the words, unable to argue with them.

"Between the two of us, we should be able to come up with something," he shrugged.

Perhaps it was the sense of loneliness or the near death experience that she'd just experienced, but in that moment, Hermione was very thankful to have Sirius Black at her side.

"Okay," she sighed.

Sirius looked at her in surprise, and then a smile slowly formed on his face. "Come on," he said, leading her to the edge of the mountaintop. They sat down, side by side, their feet dangling from the edge.

She couldn't help it, the curiosity getting the better of her. "Why is this place your happy memory?" she asked.

Sirius's grey eyes slowly roamed her face, his eyes conflicted. He turned from her, scanning the horizon beyond. "I don't have the nicest parents," he exhaled, slowly turning back to face her, "my Mum's obsessed with…well…"

"Blood purity," Hermione supplied for him.

He froze in surprise, his eyes filling with shame. "Yeah," he sighed, "and my Dad," he rushed to say, wanting to get off the topic of blood purity, "is all about acting proper and getting on with your duty in life. They've had my whole life planned out for me before I'd even been born and…and I just.." he sighed, unable to properly explain.

"And all you want to do is to run away screaming," she said. Hermione felt a strange sense of understanding with Sirius, she knew all about life plans that you couldn't escape from.

"Yes," Sirius breathed, relieved that she seemed to understand so well. "It was fine when I was younger," he explained, "and then I came to Hogwarts and well, everything sort of went to hell after that. The older I got, the stricter they got," he said. "When I was thirteen, they wouldn't let me spend Christmas with the Potters and I'd rather kiss a troll than spend any more time than necessary at home."

"So you stayed at Hogwarts for that Christmas," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Sirius said. "I had to lie to James about how I wanted to experience a Hogwarts Christmas," he snorted. "I would rather have, died than deal with his pity but he knew I was lying," he shrugged. "So it's the first day of the holidays and I wake up and everyone's gone, so I walk down to the Common Room feeling sorry for myself. I look up and sitting by the fireplace are James, Remus and Peter, playing exploding snap," he said with a smile.

"They stayed?" Hermione grinned

"They stayed," Sirius smiled. "Changed all their plans so that I wouldn't be stuck on my own and we spent the entire holidays roaming around Hogwarts. We found the secret passageway that leads to Hogsmeade a few days in, and then on the last day we walked up this mountain with a bag full of Butterbeers and we sat right here," he said, indicating the spot they were sat in, "and we just talked."

"About what?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Everything," Sirius shrugged. "Our families, what we plan to do after Hogwarts, if we'd all still be friends twenty years from now," he said. "This place represents everything I want in life," he explained. "Freedom away from my parents and control of my life," he breathed.

Hermione exhaled taking in the vast starry sky, her bruised and battered soul weary and yet thankful that she wasn't the only one living in a cage of circumstances. "So," Hermione asked, raising a brow, "twenty questions?"

Sirius snorted, mirth dancing in his grey eyes. "Twenty questions," he agreed with a nod. He straightened his shoulders, although he was trying to look relaxed, Hermione could see the muscles in his arms tensely coiled. "What's your favourite memory with Fenwick?" he curiously asked.

"Benjy?" Hermione questioned in surprise, guilt slithering through her and settling in her stomach. Benjy could have been the perfect answer to all her problems, but he wasn't, for the same reason that Lily wasn't - they were both destined to die.

She'd originally wanted her memories as Hermione Granger to be the catalyst for her Patronus, to have some part her lost ones still with her but when that had failed, she'd moved on to the two people she loved most as Hermione Evans - Benjy and Lily. She had countless happy memories with both and yet not a single one had been enough to conjure a Patronus.

"Your favourite memory, not your happiest," Sirius said cautiously, his voice oddly gentle.

"There's too many," Hermione shrugged.

"Tell me about just one," Sirius said.

Hermione paused, trying to decide on a memory. "Christmas back in first year," she decided with a smile."I didn't really consider Benjy a friend at that point, more of an associate," she said fondly, "and then one morning, he just showed up at my house and told me to get dressed. He lied to my mum and told her we'd be spending the day at his house but we went to the beach instead," she said with a glint in her eyes. "The water was freezing," she recalled.

"You took a swim in December?" Sirius asked, incredulous.

"It wasn't voluntary," Hermione made clear. "Benjy pushed me in and then he jumped in right after," she said with a small grin.

"And that's one of your favourite memories?" Sirius smiled.

"Yeah," Hermione breathed, remembering how surprised she'd been at that moment. "It was the moment I realised that we were friends," she admitted.

Sirius gave her a curious look and she knew what he was thinking: Why was that memory not strong enough to form a Patronus? Her memories with Benjy and Lily were treasured and happy, but they were also marred with her worries and her fears for their future, her failure would result in their deaths. She had happy memories—it was impossible not to—she'd had a relatively happy life as Hermione Evans, but when she tried to form a Patronus with those memories, all she could feel was the weight of the world on her shoulders. Benjy and Lily were walking talking reminders of exactly what was at stake.

The memories weren't the problem, she realised, the people in them were.

"When you conjure your Patronus, you don't think of James or Remus, the people in the memory, you focus on here," Hermione said, indicating the barren mountaintop. "How do you do that?" she asked.

Sirius frowned in thought, slowly swinging his legs back and forth over the abyss. "Thinking of this place, brings back a rush of emotions," he said hesitantly. "Happiness, certainly, but I don't focus on that. Instead, I think of the hope that _caused_ that happiness. I don't look at James and think about everything I want in the future," he smirked, "but I do when I think of this place," he said, his grey eyes glued to her movements. "I focus on how much better life is going to get, the hope that there's more to the world than Hogwarts and Voldemort, that's what makes me happy," he said. Sirius took his wand out of his pocket and held it up, "Expecto Patronum!" A great big silver dog burst out of the tip of his wand, floating across the abyss and then around Hermione.

Hermione laughed as the dog circled her and then slowly fizzled out. Did she have a memory like that? A brief second where she'd thought of the future and felt not just doggedly determined about her life but hopeful for what was to come?

She did, she realised; it was a momentary rush of euphoria, in one of her saddest memories.

She nervously took her wand out her pocket. She hated thinking about that day.

"You can do it, Hermione" Sirius said confidently.

With a shaky hand, she held up her wand. When a warm hand came to rest atop her own trembling one, she looked up in surprise at Sirius, who looked nothing but certain that she could do it.

Hermione closed her eyes and mentally braced herself as she put her walls down for the first time in years, and thought back to the day that she'd figured out how to create her time turner. It had also been the day that Teddy had died.

 _Focus on the emotion, the hope, the happiness of that moment_ , she thought.

She felt a rush of euphoria as she remembered the exact moment that she'd figured it out, the moment when she'd realised that she would see them all again: Ron, Harry, Teddy, Ginny and everyone else who had died. The moment she'd realised that it wasn't the end for her, but the end for Voldemort.

"Expecto Patronum!"

She kept her eyes tightly shut, but that didn't stop her from hearing Sirius' breath hitch.

"Evans," Sirius said, a thrum of excitement in his voice, "open your eyes!"

Hermione hesitated, fear keeping them shut.

"Merlin's pants! Open your eyes woman!" Sirius laughed, exhilarated.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, her heart racing as she took in the Patronus in front of her.

Her heart soared and her eyes grew wide at the sight: it wasn't an otter, which came as a surprise. Even after everything she'd been through before, her Patronus had never changed.

"It's huge!" Sirius excitedly barked. "Look at those heads!"

Hermione stared, perplexed at the sight of her Patronus: it was overtly large, with three heads and a snake's tail.

"It's Fluffy," Hermione breathed. Apart from the size and the tail, the resemblance was uncanny.

" _Fluffy!?_ That _thing_ is not fluffy," Sirius argued, "it's vicious! And Merlin's beard they're all looking at me!" he laughed nervously.

The three heads turned from Sirius to stare at her. "It's a Cerberus," Hermione said aloud, slowly realising that she'd made a Patronus. A wave of happiness engulfed her as her Patronus flickered out of existence. "Thank you," she breathed.

"It was noth-"

Hermione threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, trying to pour her emotions into that one act. Sirius paused for a moment before hugging her back. Hermione pulled back, locking eyes with him. "It means everything to me," she told him emphatically, "so _thank you._ "

Sirius faltered for a moment and then, slowly, a large grin spread across his face.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **-}{**

They didn't stay up there for long, taking just enough time for Hermione to feel familiar with producing a Patronus. When they made it back to the hospital wing, the sun had begun to rise.

Madam Pomfrey had all but kicked Sirius out, and had after spending a good while berating her for her disappearing act, curtly put Hermione back to bed with a sleeping potion. When Hermione woke up again, it was late into the morning. Mary was sitting up in the bed next to her, eating breakfast off a large tray.

"Morning," Mary said, far too chirpy for someone who'd almost died.

"Morning," Hermione mumbled, still sleep deprived.

"Your sister and Benjy came by earlier," Mary told her. "Pomfrey shooed them out pretty quick, though."

"Oh," Hermione said, rising up from the bed to head to the bathroom. "Thanks for letting me know," she said.

"No problem," Mary shrugged.

Hermione felt far more human after she cleaned herself up. When she made it back to her bed, Madam Pomfrey was waiting for her, along with a tray full of food.

"Ms Evans, how are you feeling this morning?" she asked.

"Much better, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione answered, sitting down atop her bed.

"I was just telling Ms Macdonald here that the Headmaster would like to see you both in his office, after you've had breakfast, of course." Hermione frowned but didn't argue. If Dumbledore wanted to see her, then there wasn't much she could do about it.

Madam Pomfrey left them both with a bottle of pick me up potion and some chocolate for after breakfast, before seeing to the other students in the wing.

"We're in the Prophet!" Mary excitedly told her as Hermione ate her breakfast.

"We are?"

"Page four," Mary grinned, passing Hermione a copy of the Prophet. "If it wasn't for that mad man, we'd probably be on the front page."

 _Dementors in Hogwarts_ , the headline said and below it was a small extract about two unidentified students being attacked by a Dementor. There wasn't much information, but Hermione knew all that she needed to know.

Only one man controlled the wards of Hogwarts. She didn't know why and she didn't much care, but she knew for certain that no one but Albus Dumbledore could have been responsible for the attack. The man was a manipulative bastard that whole heartedly believed that the end justified the means.

"I wanted to thank you," Mary spoke up.

"For what?" Hermione frowned.

"For not leaving me behind, I guess," Mary awkwardly shrugged.

"Did you hit your head too hard?" Hermione frowned. "I'm the idiot who tripped. You stayed when you could have run. I owe you _my_ life," Hermione said earnestly.

"How about we just call it even?" Mary suggested with a grin.

"Even, it is," Hermione agreed with a nod.

Hermione finished up her breakfast and the two made their way to Dumbledore's office, with strict instructions to return to the hospital wing afterwards.

"Do you think Mulciber knew?" Mary suddenly asked.

"Mulciber?" Hermione frowned, remembering his odd behaviour from last night.

"He was desperate not to go anywhere near the east side of the forest" Mary said, "I thought he was just being a coward, but what if he knew that there was a Dementor there?"

"It's a possibility," Hermione agreed.

"Should we tell Dumbledore?"

"If you want," Hermione shrugged.

Mary frowned and opened her mouth but before she could say anything they made it to the stone gargoyle. "Liquorice whip," Hermione said, and the gargoyle sprung to motion, revealing a set of stairs that led to the Headmaster's office.

"I've never been here before," Mary nervously said.

"Neither have I," Hermione replied.

They both came to a stop in front of the door. Hermione raised her hand to knock but the door opened of its own accord, revealing Professor Dumbledore sat behind his desk, with Fawkes in his cage.

"Ms Macdonald, Ms Evans, do come in," Dumbledore said.

Mary inched closer to Hermione as they walked in and took their seats. It was strange seeing the Headmaster's office look how she'd remembered it as a teenager and not the monstrosity it had become once Voldemort had begun inhabiting it.

"I'd like to start off by offering you both a sincere apology for what happened," Dumbledore began, speaking to both of them, although his eyes were on Hermione. "Students should never have been in the forest. It is wholly my fault that this wasn't made clear to every one of my staff."

"You knew that there was a Dementor in the forest?" Mary asked, incredulous.

"Yes," Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"Why?" Hermione asked, curious, although she doubted that she'd get a real answer.

"That is between the Minister of Magic and myself, Ms Evans," Dumbledore said kindly. Perhaps if Hermione hadn't known him before, she would have fallen for it. There was no doubt that Dumbledore was on her side. He'd willingly die if it meant eradicating Voldemort, but he wasn't flawless. He was as damaged as she was. Being on the right side didn't make you a good person.

"You expect us to believe that your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, an Auror, had no idea that there was a Dementor in the forest?" she asked with a smirk.

Mary threw her a startled look, aghast at her rudeness.

"You can believe whatever you like, Ms Evans, but that is the truth," Dumbledore replied with a smile. His manner seemed unbothered but she knew him better: his shoulders were too tense and his fingers too still. Whether either of them liked it or not, this time around, she was the chosen one. She wasn't an eleven year old whom you could mould and teach to die for the greater good. She wasn't a scared teenager who would come running for her Headmaster's protection. Was that what it had been about? Dumbledore and Meadowes had found the one chink in her armour and they'd tried ruthlessly to exploit it.

"I'm afraid too many things simply don't add up," Hermione shrugged. "James Potter was offered detention the very next day and when that proved inconvenient, the day after, I was given detention specifically for the Friday."

"Are you accusing Professor Meadowes of deliberately sending you to the forest?" Dumbledore frowned. He looked troubled—perhaps he even was, but she doubted that it was at the thought of Meadowes trying to kill her. There was no way would she have done it without Dumbledore's go ahead.

"I'm accusing you both," Hermione admitted nonchalantly.

Mary gulped, petrified in her seat. Dumbledore frowned; she could see his mind furiously working behind his blue eyes, trying to think of a way to twist things so that he could look good in her eyes.

"What was the plan?" Hermione wondered, curious. "You'd let the Dementor get close to me, scare me a little, give me enough time to realise that I'm not as wonderful as I think I am and then Professor Meadowes would show up like a saviour and I would be forever grateful?" she supplied. Dumbledore was great at masking his feelings but Hermione was better: the guilt was there, it was small and shrouded but she could see it in his blue eyes.

"You didn't plan for Meadowes to drag things out, did you?" she realised, "or for James Potter to show up and spoil your plans-"

"I can assure you, Ms Evans, that neither I nor Professor Meadowes planned anything of the sort," Dumbledore interrupted, "and if you genuinely believe that then I suggest you take up a complaint with the school board."

Hermione snorted. "The school board?" she laughed. Albus Dumbledore wasn't untouchable—plenty of Wizards and Witches wanted him gone—but with the threat of Voldemort, no one was crazy enough to remove him, not even her.

Hermione rose from her seat. "This was a nice chat," she grinned darkly, "but I think it's time we left." Mary looked incredulous, her eyes wide and her face a dark shade of red.

"That is unfortunate," Dumbledore frowned, "but understandable," he sighed. "It was nice speaking to you Ms Evans. Ms Macdonald, do you have anything further to discuss?"

Mary jumped in her seat, terrified that Dumbledore seemed to notice her existence. "No," she said quickly, "and…and Professor I believe you," she stuttered out, shooting Hermione a dark look.

Dumbledore smiled at her, his eyes filling with delight. "I am glad to hear that Ms Macdonald. Now, if neither of you have anything else to add, I think it's best you leave."

Mary rose up from her seat, walking as far away from Hermione as she could as they left the office. They'd exited the office and walked down the steps past the gargoyle.

"How could you say that to him!" Mary demanded, "He's Albus Dumbledore!"

"We almost died," Hermione argued.

"He's the Supreme Mugwump!" Mary replied hotly, "and you just accused him of attempted murder!"

"Even if he didn't try to kill us, his so-called mistake led to our situation-"

"You're mad!" Mary snapped, "why in Merlin's name would Dumbledore even bother with you?" Mary demanded. "It's true what they say about you," she accused, shaking her head. "You're arrogant beyond belief!" she snapped stalking away in anger.

Hermione scowled, anger swirling through her chest. She normally didn't give much thought to people but over the past few days, her patience had dwindled.

 **}{** **—** **-}{** **—** **-}{**

The weekend passed by rather quickly and by Monday morning, Hermione was released from the hospital wing.

"I'm fine," she insisted for what had to be the hundredth time. "Lily, you have got to stop smothering me," she smiled, grabbing her books back from her sister, "I am perfectly capable of carrying my own books."

"Sorry," Lily frowned. "Are you sure you want to go to Defence? We can skip," she offered.

"You never skip," Hermione frowned. "Besides, I'm looking forward to it," she grinned as they entered the room, Hermione grabbing the desk by the window. Lily frowned at her but dropped the subject, before sitting next to her twin.

The class fell silent as Professor Meadowes entered the room. "Books and quills away, we'll be doing more practical work today," she told them.

The Slytherin and Gryffindors shuffled around, packing their things away and stepping back from the desks. Meadowes waved her wand and all the desks were pushed up against the wall.

"I have to admit that I am rather disappointed in your progress," Meadowes frowned at them. "Only two of you in this entire class have managed to produce a Patronus."

Hermione tilted her head to Lily and quietly whispered, "Says the washed-up Auror."

Lily snorted, which caught Meadowes' attention. "Ms Evans, do you have something to share with the class?"

"No!" Lily quickly shook her head.

"I wasn't speaking to you" Meadowes smiled. "Ms Evans?" Meadowes demanded, looking straight at Hermione.

"I just find it rather humourous that you would berate us for failure," Hermione shrugged.

Lily elbowed her and Hermione's breath caught in her throat from the pain.

"And why is that so amusing?" Meadowes demanded icily, a dark glint in her eyes.

Lily threw Hermione a look to shut up, but she was long past the point of dealing with Meadowes' crap. "I just find it funny that some two bit Auror who's had some experience at ordering people around thinks that she can teach."

The room fell deathly quiet. Peter, who was stood on her other side, shuffled a few feet away from her. Meadowes looked ready to kill her.

"Two bit Auror?" Meadowes demanded, her brown eyes filled with fury.

"Surely if you were any good, they'd have you out on the field, fighting where it mattered, not locked away here?" she insinuated.

"I can assure you that I am more than just _good_ " Meadowes replied tersely. "You should thank your good fortune that you are my student and not my opponent."

"I'll take your word for it," Hermione smirked.

"Would you like detention again, Ms Evans?"

"As long as it's not in the forest. There are Dementors out there," Hermione said.

Meadowes snorted, disbelief colouring her face. "What I find humorous is that someone who can't even produce a Patronus is questioning my abilities."

Hermione whipped her wand out and Meadowes frowned, her hand twitching towards her own wand.

A few of the Slytherins smirked but the majority of the class looked nervous.

Instead of attacking her like everyone seemed to expect, Hermione held out her wand, focusing on that one singular moment, exactly as she had on the mountain top.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Everyone watched enthralled as the large silver Cerberus burst out of Hermione's wand, floating around the room, passing by the shocked Slytherins and around the dazed Gryffindors. It circled Meadowes who looked downright furious before coming to a stop in front of Hermione.

"You were saying?" Hermione demanded, the three heads of her Cerberus glaring down at Meadowes, its multiple mouths open and it's teeth sharp and imposing.

"It seems I was mistaken" Meadowes said, far easier than Hermione had ever imagined it would be for the woman to say. "Well done, Ms Evans," she said through gritted teeth.

At her words, the Gryffindors burst into celebration, Lily hugging her tight as the rest crowded around her and her Patronus.

"Well done, Hermione," Remus smiled.

"Look at it!" James said, impressed.

"I know!" Sirius laughed.

"Alright, that's enough," Meadowes barked. "Three out of an entire class is simply shameful," she glowered. "It's time to get to work."

The class was far better than Hermione had gotten used to. Meadowes went out of her way to ignore her and by the end, Hermione was one of a few not running out of the room. Meadowes was brutal, berating almost everyone. She was probably the most disliked Professor at Hogwarts.

As Hermione and Lily walked out, Marlene, Diana and Arlo fell into step besides Lily and the air instantly turned awkward. Whilst Lily got on well with their dorm mates, Hermione had hit a rocky patch with all of them, a patch that she had no interest in fixing.

She spotted Sirius walking with the other Marauders up ahead. "I'll see you later" she told Lily, running off before her sister could stop her. "Hey, Sirius" Hermione called out.

He came to a stop, but so did the other three, watching her curiously. Sirius shot them a look and they seemed to get the message.

"We'll go on ahead," Remus said.

"We will?" Peter frowned.

"See you later, Sirius," James said, dragging Peter away.

Sirius looked at her expectantly.

"Carry my books?" she asked, holding them out.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, but took them nonetheless. They fell into step, walking towards the Common Room as they had a free period.

"I just wanted to say-"

"If you thank me one more time, I'm going to have to hex you," Sirius interrupted.

Hermione grinned up at him. "I wasn't going to thank you," she lied.

"Oh, really," Sirius grinned.

"Really," she insisted. "I was…oh, fine, I was going to thank you, but I won't now."

Sirius laughed, his grey eyes sparkling. "Good," he smirked, "because I can think of much better ways to thank me than with words."

"Dream on," Hermione smiled.

"I certainly will," he said, earning himself a swat on the arm.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**


	16. Chapter 16

**}{—-}{—-}{**

"Primrose?" Sirius laughed.

"You're the last person allowed to laugh at someone's name" Hermione grinned, "Sirius Orion!" She smirked. "What were your parents thinking?"

They were sat in the Common Room, side by side in the corner. Lily had ditched her for Prefect duty and Sirius had quickly taken her empty chair. Sirius chuckled, his shoulders shaking with laughter, "my family has an awful tradition of naming children after constellations" he smirked, "whereas yours has no such excuse"

"True" Hermione conceded "but at least Primrose isn't my first name" she grinned.

"I much prefer Hermione" Sirius agreed, he was leaning back in his chair, one arm slung over Hermione's chair, with his sleeves rolled up and his long hair brushing against his shoulders. An odd sensation filled her stomach at the sight, a weightlessness that she couldn't quite identify.

"Still not friends?" Sirius suddenly asked

Hermione looked up at him confused and he nodded towards the fireplace, where Arlo, Marlene and Diana were sat, trying to inconspicuously stare at them.

"No" Hermione sighed, a frown marring her face.

"I understand why Marlene hates you but why do the other two?" Sirius questioned.

"And why does Marlene hate me?" Hermione asked with a raised brow.

"Because she's madly in love with your boyfriend" Sirius said, a smug, cocky grin on his face

"You are _not_ my boyfriend" Hermione curtly told him, "you barely qualify as a friend and Marlene is not in love with you"

Sirius raised a brow in disbelief.

"Okay, she may be slightly in love with you" Hermione conceded, "and that may be why she currently dislikes me" she frowned.

"And Arlo and Diana?" Sirius asked.

"Diana's always been more Marlene's friend than mine" Hermione shrugged "and Arlo thinks that I'm some sort of back stabbing traitor who thinks that she's a burden"

Sirius frowned, his grey eyes darkening as he took in her frown. "Arlo's an idiot" he said seriously.

"You don't even know why she thinks that way" Hermione said.

"I don't need to know why" Sirius shrugged "I know you" he said "and if she's willing to throw your friendship out the window over Fenwick than she's an idiot"

"How do you know that it has anything to do with Benjy?" Hermione frowned.

"Because Arlo is obsessed with him" Sirius said "and you two are uncomfortably close"

"Uncomfortably?" Hermione frowned, picking up on the word.

Sirius held both his hands up, not wanting an argument, "I've never seen two people of the opposite sex, that weren't related by blood, be so close" he shrugged, "it's unnatural"

Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"Whilst I'm okay with it, not everyone is like me" he shrugged. "Just look at Tiffany Kim"

"What about her?" Hermione frowned, from the little Benjy had offered up, she knew that he and Tiffany were officially dating.

"You really do have your head stuck in books" Sirius snorted, "she's been asking about you for over a week"

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise, "why?"

It was Sirius' turn to roll his eyes, "because you are uncomfortably close to her boyfriend" he smirked, "and people don't usually like that"

Hermione scowled at him, unamused by the situation. "It's a good thing that I don't care about what people think then" she retorted.

Sirius opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the arrival of Remus and Lily.

"Hi" Lily smiled, a curious glint in her eyes as she looked at Sirius and Hermione.

"Hi" Hermione replied, "How was Prefect duty?" She enquired

Lily and Remus shared an exasperated look, "dreadful" Remus answered as he and Lily took the two empty chairs across from Hermione and Sirius. "It seemed like half the castle were breaking curfew tonight" he explained.

"We caught Potter and Peter by the kitchen" Lily frowned.

"You caught them?" Sirius questioned, his eyes wandering to Remus.

"I'm sure they were using a dissillusionment charm" Lily said, "because one second I'm looking at an empty hallway and the next Potter pops up out of nowhere" she sighed.

"I bet Peter wasn't too pleased" Sirius smirked and Remus shook his head in frustration.

"We also caught Rosier and Yaxley in a broom closet" Lily grimaced.

"Okay, I could have gone the rest of my life without that information" Sirius frowned "I can't imagine anyone willingly touching that prick"

"Yaxley was more than just touching him" Remus shuddered.

"I think I'm going to throw up" Sirius shook his head, causing the other three to laugh at him.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

Although Hermione's fall out with her dorm mates had not deeply troubled her, it did trouble her social butterfly of a twin.

"Arlo really wants to apologise" Lily said over breakfast, buttering her toast.

"Alright" Hermione shrugged, cutting up her sausage into smaller pieces.

Lily frowned at her, the frustration evident in her eyes.

"What?" Hermione enquired.

"Well you're not exactly the easiest person to apologise too" Lily said

"You do it all the time" Hermione smirked "so it can't be that hard"

The upper corners of Lily's lips twitched as she tried to contain her smile, "I'm your sister" she managed to say with a straight face "there's a massive difference between me apologising and a friend".

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Hermione asked

"You could act a little less...flippant" she said it uncertainly, gazing at Hermione's face for a reaction "Arlo thinks that you don't want to be her friend anymore, which I told her is stupid, but you're not exactly sending the right signals"

"And what exactly are the right signals?" Hermione asked confused

"You're not sad or angry that you're no longer friends. You just don't care, you've pretty much swapped her out for Sirius"

"No I haven't" Hermione shook her head, "honestly, how old are we that things have to be so...so petty"

"Fifteen" Lily said like she was stupid.

"Almost sixteen" Hermione replied back defensively.

Lily grinned at her, "true" she conceded, their birthday, January thirty, was only two days away.

"All I'm trying to say is that Arlo has wanted to apologise for a while now. She's just trying to build up the courage"

"You make me sound so terrifying" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"That's because you are" Benjy suddenly said, popping up at her side.

"Shut it" Hermione warned him as he took the empty seat besides her.

"Fenwick" Lily said unenthusiastically.

"Evans" Benjy replied in the same manner, "eat up" he told Hermione, "I have a favour I need to ask you"

Hermione frowned "you can ask me now" she said.

Benjy's eyes scanned the Gryffindor table, his eyes landing on a group of girls sitting at the end. Hermione recognised Tiffany in the centre of the group, "too many eyes" his eyes shifted to Lily "and ears." Lily scowled at him but Benjy paid her no mind, "I need to speak to you privately"

"Alright" Hermione agreed, "you can walk me to Charms"

She ate as quickly as she could and the two left the Gryffindor table with multiple eyes on them. They walked up the grand staircase and through the hallways, Benjy finally started talking when they were walking up another set of steps.

"Don't say no" he demanded, his blue eyes filled with determination.

"It's very unlikely that I'm going to say no" Hermione replied. They came to a stop on the fourth floor corridor, a few feet away from the Charms classroom.

"Would you come to Hogsmeade with Tiffany and I?" Benjy sighed.

Hermione's eye widened in surprise, out of all the things she'd been expecting, that hadn't come close.

"It isn't my idea" Benjy rushed to say, "but she really wants to meet you." He implored.

"Why?" Hermione frowned.

"Because she thinks that I want to secretly fuck you" Benjy said matter of factly "or that you want to fuck me" he added.

Hermione grimaced, mouth agape in horror, "I'd rather kiss a troll" she shuddered.

"Likewise" Benjy smirked, "you're as good as my sister but I can't take the badgering and the questions anymore and unfortunately I like her too much to tell her to fuck off" he grimaced.

"I can't" Hermione frowned, "not because I don't want to" she hurried to say, "although I really don't, but I already agreed to go with Sirius"

"Black" Benjy frowned, "I didn't realise that you two were a thing-"

"We're not" Hermione rushed to say, cutting him off. "I made a stupid deal with him and now my Hogsmeade trips for the rest of the year are all booked up"

"Right" Benjy frowned, "then let's make it a double date" he eagerly said.

"What!" Hermione squealed. "No!"

"After the crap I've put up with this year, you really can't say no" Benjy shook his head.

"But" Hermione began but a look from Benjy was all it took for her to fall quiet. "I hate you" she sighed, shoulder's dropping in defeat.

"Love you too, kiddo" Benjy grinned, ruffling her mess of curls.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

"What did Fenwick want?" Lily asked as they walked to Defence.

"He wanted me to spend some time with him and his girlfriend" Hermione sighed.

"Arlo is not going to be pleased" Lily frowned

"I don't care about Arlo" Hermione shrugged as they made their way inside.

They were the last to enter and Meadowes wasn't too pleased, the door slammed behind them with a flick of her wand. They hurried to their seats, not wanting to raise the woman's ire any further.

"You've all made decent progress with the Patronus" Meadowes spoke, "about half of you have managed it, so for this lesson, I want you to pair up" she said, "those who've managed it, with those who haven't"

The class began shuffling about as everyone tried to find a partner.

"Evans!" Yelled James Potter, "I'd make a great partner"

Lily ducked in her seat, her face heating up in embarrassment. James began to make his way over and Lily quickly walked in the opposite direction.

Hermione shook her head at the sight, thankful that she'd never had to deal with any of that.

"Hermione" said a soft voice.

She turned to see a nervous looking Remus Lupin staring down at her.

"Hey, Remus" she grinned, "do you want to partner up?" She asked.

"Yes" he nodded, a nervous aura about him, he edged closer to her, his eyes quickly scanning their surroundings. "I can do a Patronus" he quietly said "but I.." he hesitated, nervously looking around before his light brown eyes landed firmly on Hermione. "I was hoping that you knew how to do a non-corporeal Patronus that worked just as well on Dementors"

Hermione frowned, a wave of sadness engulfing her as she remembered an older version of Remus hiding his Patronus form because of the shame he felt about his lycanthropy.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about" Hermione quietly replied, "but if you really want to learn, I can teach you" she conceded.

Relief flooded Remus' system, the tension leaving his body, "thank you, Hermione" he smiled.

They had to be careful not to be too obvious as Meadowes kept her eyes on Hermione throughout the lesson, and although he hadn't managed it by the end, Remus looked far happier then when he had first walked in.

"We'll work on it outside of class" Hermione told him as the bell rang.

Remus faltered, his eyes widening, "you don't have to do that" he quickly said, "I don't want you giving up your time-"

"Don't be stupid, Remus" she cut him off, "you can just crash one of my study sessions with Peter"

A slow smile formed on his face, "thanks Hermione" he said.

"Ms Evans, would you please come and see me, before you leave" Meadowes called out.

Hermione frowned and Lily, Sirius and even Remus hesitated as everyone else all but ran out of the room. James and Peter awkwardly stood by the door, unsure of what to do.

"The rest of you can leave" Meadowes curtly said.

"I'll see you later" Hermione told Remus, walking away from him and towards Meadowes.

"I'll be right outside" Lily said, loud enough for Meadowes to hear.

Professor Meadowes sat down behind her desk, waiting until the door firmly shut to start speaking. She gave her wand a swish and a large pile of parchment appeared on her desk. "You're an interesting person, Ms Evans" Meadowes said.

Hermione frowned, unsure if it was a compliment or not.

"You're bright, very, very bright" she nodded, "but you're also difficult and sly" she frowned. "You have your own way of doing things" she scowled "you're like a rock in a small lake, with the water gently brushing against you" she said "but one day, you're going to enter the ocean and those gentle brushes are going to turn into waves. Waves that are going to get bigger, and more brutal and believe it or not, with the ocean continuously battering against you - you will crack"

"Are you the ocean in this scenario?" Hermione frowned

"No" Meadowes laughed, she gave her a wand a flick and the morning's Daily Prophet appeared on her desk, the headline was written in bold, sending an icy chill through anyone that read it: _'VOLDEMORT'S MASSACRE CONTINUES & THE MINISTRY REMAINS HELPLESS'_

"He" Meadowes said, tapping Voldemort's name with her wand, "is the ocean"

Hermione's throat went dry, "what does he have to do with me?" She demanded

Meadowes looked conflicted, a battle surging in her brown eyes, "I am not at liberty to discuss that" she sighed, "but dark things are coming for you Ms Evans and Albus Dumbledore won't always be around to protect you"

"I don't need his protection" Hermione heatedly said.

Meadowes chuckled "grown Witches and Wizards would empty their family's vaults to be under Dumbledore's protection"

"Dumbledore's protection comes with strings" Hermione scowled "and I am not a puppet"

Meadowes snorted, amused "he said you'd be easy" she sighed, "just teach her, Dorcas. She'll be eager to learn" she quietly muttered "Dumbledore is rarely wrong, but he's been very wrong about you"

"He put you in Hogwarts to teach me?" Hermione frowned, "why?"

"Because dark times are coming" Meadowes shook her head "and magic has chosen a child to save us all" she scowled.

"You tried to kill me" Hermione said.

"I was trying to teach you" Meadowes grinned, "things just didn't go according to plan"

Anger surged within Hermione, "are you listening to yourself?" She demanded, "you're suppose to be an Auror!"

"That's enough, Ms Evans" Meadowes snapped "one day, you'll understand that when it comes to war, the ends justify the means" she grabbed the stack of parchment off of her desk and held it up to Hermione.

"What is it?" Hermione demanded.

"Extra homework" Meadowes snapped "it's time you engage that brain of yours and actually test your limits"

Hermione took the stack, flicking through it, the work went well above seventh year level.

"You have a week to have it completed" Meadowes demanded, "goodbye Ms Evans"

With a scowl, Hermione stormed out of the room.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

"Happy Birthday!" Lily yelled, jumping on Hermione's bed and waking her up with a start.

Hermione groaned, latching on tighter to her blanket. "Go away" she grumbled.

Lily tugged at the blanket, Hermione tried to hold on to it but Lily had the advantage of being on top of her. She whipped it off her with little sympathy. "Happy Birthday!" She beamed.

Hermione groaned, kicking out at her sister, who threw herself at her, tightly hugging her.

"Happy Birthday!" Lily screamed in her ear.

Hermione struggled against her hold before giving up. "You're so annoying" she pouted.

"Yes, I am" Lily grinned, letting go of her, "happy-"

"Shut up!" Marlene yelled from her bed, poking her head out from her curtains, "we get it Lily! It's you're birthday! I think the whole bloody school heard you!" She yelled, throwing the twins a scowl as her head disappeared behind the curtains.

"You guys are such downers" Lily frowned.

"Happy Birthday, Lily" Hermione grinned.

Lily's frowned instantly transformed, her whole face lighting up with joy. She scurried out of Hermione's bed, heading to her trunk.

Hermione rose out of her bed, running a hand through her tangled mane of hair and did the same. It was tradition to swap presents right at the start of the day for the twins.

Hermione took two small wrapped presents out of her trunk and turned around to see Lily with a large present in her hand.

"I think, I'm afraid to open it" Hermione laughed, the sheer size was intimidating.

"You'll love it" Lily grinned, sitting down on her bed. Hermione sat down next to her and handed over the two presents.

"Why'd you get me two?" Lily frowned, a flash of guilt in her green eyes.

"Because they go together" Hermione explained, "now hurry up and open it" she smiled.

Lily chose to open the smaller one first, excitedly ripping the wrapping off. Hermione watched with a smile as she opened up the small box.

Lily's breath hitched at the sight, her eyes widening as she took in the shoes. They were Maxwell high heels from Elaine Maxwell's new line, a designer that Lily was obsessed with.

"Merlin's beard!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes twinkling, "I love them! Thank you!"

"Open the other one" Hermione encouraged.

Lily ripped into it, her mouth agape at the sight of the green dress, it had an ornate illusion neckline, intricate scalloped lace and a full tulle-lined skirt. "I love you" Lily breathed, speechless at the sight, she leaned over, forcing Hermione into another hug,

"Now, open mine!" She demanded.

Hermione's warily unwrapped it, the thing was huge, reaching Hermione's waist when placed on the floor. Lily eagerly watched as Hermione removed the final wrapped piece and took a step back to exam it.

Hermione grinned, perplexed at the sight, "you got me a stuffed animal?" She asked, her eyes roaming over the large stuffed dog. It was a huge black Cerberus, with a stuffed snake's tail and lion's claws to boot.

"It's a guard dog" Lily grinned. She handed over a piece of paper that Hermione hadn't noticed before. "It has instructions and everything" she smiled, "you place it on something you want guarded, like your trunk or your bed and if anyone touches it, it becomes animated and attacks them"

"Attacks!" Diana squeaked, her eyes glued to the stuffed dog. Hermione realised that all the girls were up and had been watching them.

"It's a stuffed dog" Lily rolled her eyes, "I doubt it does much damage"

Diana warily rose up, two wrapped gifts in her hand, "happy birthday" she said, holding them out for Hermione and Lily to take, "they're from Marlene and I" she said, Marlene didn't look their way but she didn't deny the fact either.

Hermione took the gift, "thanks" she said.

"It was no trouble" Diana smiled, walking back to her bed.

Arlo suddenly stepped forward, nervous and awkward, like Diana, she also had two gifts in her hand. She came to a stop in front of Hermione, their eyes connecting.

"I've…" Arlo hesitated, averting her gaze before bringing them back "I've been really unfair to you Hermione" she said seriously, "I got so caught up in my own feelings, that I just screwed everything up" she sighed, "you're my friend and you've always acted like one, I'm really sorry for not doing the same" she rambled.

Hermione pursed her lips, acting indifferent.

"You don't have to forgive me" Arlo rushed to say, "I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry"

Hermione's lips slowly transformed into a smile, "you're an idiot" she grinned.

"I am" Arlo agreed with a nod. "Friends?" She asked hopefully.

Hermione stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the girl. Arlo hugged her back, her body sagging with relief.

"Finally" Lily grinned. "Now can we please open up these presents" she implored.

After sorting through their presents, the twins along with Arlo went down to breakfast. Arlo rambled throughout breakfast, trying to tell Hermione all of the gossip she'd missed over the past few weeks.

Arlo and Lily suddenly fell quiet, their eyes focused on something behind her back, Hermione turned to see Sirius standing there.

"Hey" she smiled.

"Hey" he grinned back. He looked different, his uniform was actually on properly, his sleeves weren't rolled up, his tie wasn't askew and his hair even looked brushed. "Is there something important on today?" She asked confused, perhaps she'd missed something off the notice board.

"No" Sirius shook his head, "happy birthday" he added and for the first time she noticed the two wrapped presents in his hand.

"Oh" Hermione grinned, "thank you, but you really didn't have to, I didn't get you anything for your birthday"

"It's f-"

Sirius was cut off by Benjy, whose yell of "happy birthday!" drowned out whatever Sirius had been about to say.

Sirius looked annoyed but hid it well as Benjy walked up behind him.

"Alright, Black" Benjy grinned.

"Yeah" Sirius said, a little unfriendly "I'm fine, thanks"

"Looking forward to our date?" He asked and Hermione's eyes widened in horror, she had yet to tell Sirius about the change in plans.

"What date?" Sirius asked, confused, his gaze going to Hermione.

"You didn't tell him?" Benjy frowned.

"I haven't had the chance too yet" Hermione tried to quietly say, aware that half of the Hall including the Marauders and Meadowes seemed to be staring at them.

"Tell me what?" Sirius frowned, his shoulders taut with tension.

"Your Hogsmeade date with Hermione is now a double date with Tiff and I!"

Hermione kicked Benjy. He grunted in pain and finally shut up.

"You're going on a date with Sirius?!" Arlo asked.

"It's a long story" Hermione, Benjy and Lily all simultaneously said.

Sirius' frown deepened, a dark spark in his grey eyes.

"I'll explain later" Hermione told Sirius.

Sirius looked like he wanted to argue but the vast amount of eyes watching them, kept him at bay. He held out the two presents, "happy birthday" he said, walking away as soon as she took them.

Hermione passed one to Lily, guilt sitting heavy in her stomach.

"You're an idiot" she heatedly whispered to Benjy, who took the seat next to her.

"It's not my fault that you didn't tell him" Benjy frowned, "I think you may have hurt his feelings" he quietly added.

Hermione sighed at her friend, frustrated by the situation.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

Sirius avoided her all throughout Transfiguration and Charms.

"He really shouldn't be that mad" Hermione told Lily as they walked to Herbology. Arlo had opted to walk with Diana and Marlene, leaving the twins on their own. "It's not like it was a _real_ date"

Lily rolled her eyes at her.

"What?" Hermione demanded.

"You like him" Lily said matter of factly.

"No, I don't" Hermione frowned.

"I've known you your entire life" Lily replied, "I've never seen you so invested in a guy"

"I'm not invested" Hermione frowned, "I'm annoyed"

"You care that you upset him" Lily said

"I would care if I upset anyone" Hermione replied

"Not like you care now" Lily rebutted. "How many times have Benjy or Arlo or I been upset at you - countless" Lily answered "if this was us, getting upset because people were tagging along on a date or something similar, you would have said, shit happens, get over it"

"That sounds rather harsh of me" Hermione frowned.

"You are harsh" Lily laughed, "or at least you are if the name isn't Sirius Black" she smirked.

"You're being stupid" Hermione said.

"Maybe" Lily nodded.

"And he's being stupid" Hermione added.

"He's being a boy" Lily rolled her eyes. "Whether you'll admit it or not, Sirius has been worming his way into that pretty little head of yours and I'm sure he was counting on your Hogsmeade date to greatly impress you and then you went and invited his biggest rival along"

"Benjy is not his biggest rival" Hermione scowled.

"Not romantically" Lily agreed, "I think the two of you should actually be considered incest" she grimaced, "but Benjy is your go to guy" Lily said "the one person in the world you run to when things aren't right, he knows more about you than I do" she stated.

Hermione didn't disagree with that.

"Sirius clearly wants a romantic relationship with you and his biggest hurdle is going to be getting you to open up, you're like a sealed off trunk" Lily frowned "except to Benjy, which makes him an issue for Sirius, so whether you like it or not - you fucked up"

They came to a stop inside greenhouse four, finding two empty seats by the back.

"Well, how do I fix it?" Hermione asked, her eye on Sirius. He was putting on safety gloves, a deep frown on his face, completely ignoring whatever Peter was talking about.

"Wow" Lily breathed, "you must really like hi-"

"I don't like him!" Hermione quietly snapped, "I just feel bad"

"Just go and apologise" Lily said, "it's not that hard"

Hermione frowned and with a sigh, did as Lily advised. She walked across the room, tapping Peter on the shoulder. "Can we swap seats?" She asked

Peter frowned, worriedly looking at Sirius, who was determinedly looking in the opposite direction. "Fine" Peter shrugged, grabbing his stuff and going to sit by Lily.

Hermione sat down next to Sirius, who was acting like she didn't exist. She wasn't sure what to say, Benjy never stayed mad, so apologising to him was never a serious issue and she'd been apologising to Lily her entire life, it was as easy as breathing, Sirius was new territory.

"I really like my gift" she tried. "I'm even wearing it now" she told him, holding up the necklace for him to see, it was a golden locket with a black primrose and a red marigold entwined.

Sirius finally looked at her, his grey eyes going to the locket around her neck, "you don't have to wear it" he grumbled.

"I want to" Hermione answered, "I never got to say thank you earlier, Lily loves hers as well" she added, Lily had gotten a black locket with a green lily and a white orchid, "how did you know orchids are her favourite flowers?" She asked curiously

"James knew" Sirius shrugged.

"That's a little weird" Hermione concluded.

Sirius smirked, his lips twitching before he schooled his face and Hermione saw her moment to apologise. "I'm sorry" she sighed, "the double date wasn't my idea, it was more of an ambush actually, but I should have told you earlier and I should have asked before I said yes"

Sirius frowned, his grey eyes connecting with hers, "yeah, you should have" he agreed.

"I'm sorry" she repeated, truly sorry for upsetting him.

Sirius wavered, his eyes conflicted. He heaved sigh, a small smile on his lips "fine" he shook his head, "I'll put up with Benjy and his girlfriend" he said.

Hermione grinned, "so I'm forgiven?" She asked, hopeful.

"Yes" Sirius softly smiled.

"Good" she nodded, without warning she leaned over and ruffled his hair, messing it up. Sirius' body went unnaturally still when her hand went to his tie, she loosened it slightly, popping open the top button, she leaned back in her chair, taking a look at him, "much better" she grinned, "you actually look like you now"

Sirius awkwardly ran his hand through his hair, "thanks" he said confused, "I thought you liked the Remus look?"

"The Remus look?" Hermione laughed.

"Yeah" Sirius smirked, "you know, uniform all proper, like a Prefect"

"No" Hermione shook her head, "I much prefer you like this" she smiled.

Sirius's smirk widened, turning into a full blown smile.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

 _I adore hearing what you think, if you want talk, I'm over at Tumblr, the info is on my page._

 _See you next week._

 _El._


	17. Chapter 17

"He's staring," Lily whispered to her, leaning over in her seat.

"He's always staring," Hermione told her, her eyes firmly on the book she was reading. She had bigger things on her mind than Sirius Black.

"He's always got his eyes on you," Lily smirked, her green eyes filled with mischief. "It's becoming a little creepy."

Hermione raised her head, disbelief in her whiskey brown eyes. "James Potter proposed to you this morning," she reminded her. "He got on his knees in front of the entire Hall, declaring his undying love. THAT is creepy," she firmly said. "The staring is merely inconvenient."

Lily frowned and leaned back in her seat. "Why do we always attract the weird ones?" she questioned. "I had a great time with Hector and now he acts like I don't exist," she frowned. "The Hogsmeade weekend is coming up and I don't have a date," she grumbled, her scathing green eyes landing firmly on an unaware James Potter. "It's his fault," Lily declared. "He scares away all the sane boys."

"I don't think you need help in that department," Hermione quipped.

"Ha ha," Lily dryly replied, unamused. She scanned the Common Room, a determined glint in her eye. "What about Remus?" she suddenly asked.

"What about him?" Hermione questioned, tilting her head to see exactly what Lily was looking at. Remus, James and Sirius were sat in the corner, all eyes firmly on a piece of parchment that James held in his hands.

"For a date," Lily told her.

"With you?" Hermione questioned, surprised.

"What's wrong with me?" Lily demanded.

"Nothing," Hermione quickly said. "Do you even like Remus?" she asked, confused with the situation.

"You don't have to like a boy to date him," Lily smirked. "It's the seventies, Hermione."

"But Remus is slightly…" Hermione struggled for the right word.

"Sensitive," Lily supplied.

"Yes," Hermione agreed, "and sweet and decent. You shouldn't use him like that."

"It's a date, Hermione, not marriage," Lily sighed.

"Why don't you ask Peter instead?"

"He's too short," Lily frowned "but I heard from a little raven that Clarissa has her eyes on him," she said with an excited glint in her eyes.

"Clarissa Carver?" Hermione questioned, "the Hufflepuff?"

"Yes!" Lily said excitedly, "she's cute."

"Very," Hermione agreed, "and she likes Peter?"

"Peter's cute," Lily said defensively, "he may not be classically handsome but the boy has his charms and he's really funny, girls love that."

"And who's the little raven that told you all this?" Hermione questioned

Lily had a secretive smile on her face, she looked over her shoulder, to ensure that no one could over hear, "Levi Dumont," she whispered.

"The Quidditch player?" Hermione frowned, remembering the brief conversation she'd had with the boy when Benjy had dragged him along to the Gryffindor v Slytherin Quidditch game.

"Yep" Lily smirked, popping the p.

"And how do you know Mr Dumont?" Hermione pressed.

Lily's face flushed, going a dark red.

"Lily," Hermione wondered, "what did you do?"

"It was a moment of madness" Lily smirked "One second I'm telling him off for breaking curfew and the next he was pressing me up against a broom closet," she quickly whispered.

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You were just complaining about being dateless," Hermione laughed.

"Just because I make out with a boy-"

"Doesn't mean you like him," Hermione grinned, cutting her off.

"He's just not my type," Lily sighed. "The poor boy has taken too many bludgers to the brain, but he's certainly good with his hands," she giggled.

"Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself," Hermione grinned.

"I certainly did," Lily smirked, "but I want more than just kissing in a dark corner," she frowned. "Valentine's Day is coming up and I once again don't have a boyfriend to spend it with."

"You don't need-"

"Spare me the independent woman crap," Lily cut her off. "I'm independent and capable, etc. etc., I've heard it all from Mum. I know I don't need a boyfriend, but I want one, and if even Benjy Fenwick can settle down, then so can I!"

"I wish you the best of luck," Hermione said with a straight face. She rose up before Lily could say anything else.

"Where are you going?" Lily asked.

"Library."

"I thought you were finished with your homework?"

"I'm finished with the usual lot," Hermione said, "but I've still got the extra stuff Meadowes gave me."

"That woman hates you," Lily frowned. "You should tell Professor McGonagall."

"That she gave me extra homework?" Hermione frowned. "I doubt she'll care."

"It's not just the homework, she singles you out," Lily scowled. "Picks on you more than anyone else, it's bullying. She's a Professor on a power trip and there are rules to protect us from that. I'll come with you," Lily said determinedly.

"I'm not running to McGonagall," Hermione frowned, packing away her books in her bag.

"How she treats you isn't fair," Lily fumed.

"The one thing I've learnt in life, dear sister, is that life isn't fair," Hermione shrugged, "I'll see you later."

Hermione walked away before Lily could properly start. Once her sister set her mind on something, it was all but impossible to deter her.

The library was half empty, which wasn't a surprise as it was a Wednesday evening. Hermione manoeuvred passed the bookshelves to her favourite table by the windows, surprised to see Peter there.

"Hey," she grinned, sitting down besides him.

"Hi," Peter sighed, barely lifting his head to look at her. There was parchment scattered all over his table and his hand was covered in ink.

"What are you working on?" she asked curiously.

"History of Magic," Peter sighed.

"Why?" Hermione frowned. Professor Binns handed out homework and someone certainly marked it but he never followed up on it, nor did he care if you did it in the first place. Even she didn't bother with the class.

"Because I want to take it at NEWT level and to do that I need to get an Exceeds Expectations on the OWL," Peter frowned.

"Why?" Hermione repeated. Peter had never shown an interest in history.

"Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life working in the Department of Magical Maintenance," he grumbled. "Having a NEWT in History of Magic will give me more options in the future."

Hermione was somewhat impressed. "Wow, you're actually taking school seriously."

"Well, we can't all be James Potter," Peter muttered under his breath.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Hermione frowned.

Peter huffed, leaning back in his chair, his blue eyes unfocused and troubled. Concern gripped Hermione's chest, Peter was a little dramatic and he had strange moods but he was rarely deeply troubled.

"Do you ever think that life's unfair?" Peter asked, his voice so faint that Hermione struggled to pick up on the words.

"All the time," Hermione answered honestly. "What's wrong, Peter?"

"If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell the others?" Peter asked, genuine fear in his eyes.

The concern grew and Hermione was quick to agree, "I promise."

Peter grabbed his wand off the table and put up a silencing charm, he nervously ran a hand through his hair and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. He took a deep breath and then raised his head, his eyes connecting with Hermione's. "My Mum and Dad spent all of Christmas arguing about that man…the one in the news."

"Voldemort?" Hermione supplied.

Peter flinched at the name. "Yeah," he breathed. "They're not Muggle haters, you know that, they love you," Peter rushed to say, "but Mum wants to get ahead of the rush."

"The rush?" Hermione frowned.

"She wants Dad to pledge his loyalty to him, before everyone else does, so that he stands out," Peter frowned, guilt and shame in his blue eyes.

Hermione's stomach swooped, her breath catching. She'd known Mr and Mrs Pettigrew since she'd been eleven; they were nice, decent folk. "Stands out?" Hermione demanded, anger churning in her stomach.

"Mum thinks he'll win," Peter frowned, "and if Dad pledges his loyalty now, before everyone else does, he'll remember and he'll also reward him. Give him better social standings in the new world order."

"Better social standings?" Hermione said scathingly. Flashes of the new world order from her old life coming back to her. "There are lives at stake here, Peter! Voldemort wants to wipe out all Muggleborns and your mum is focused on how fucking important your dad will be?"

Peter's shoulders hunched over, shrinking in his seat. "Why are you mad at me?" Peter quietly asked, his blue eyes wide and withdrawn. "I don't think that way and neither does Dad."

Hermione took a deep breath, getting her emotions under control. "I'm not mad at you," she finally said. "I'm annoyed at your mum."

"So am I," Peter hastily said, a spark of anger in his eyes. "You and Remus have helped me more than anyone ever has, more than the two Purebloods that I call friends," Peter snapped. "Both of you have given up your time and energy over the years just so that I don't fall behind in class, and you didn't have to do that," he rambled. "I know where my loyalties lie, Hermione, and it isn't with that murderer."

The pressure on her chest eased a little as she stared at the boy. It was difficult to look at Peter with his blond curly hair, short frame and funny quips and see the same man that had spent his adult years living secretly as a rat, the same man who gave his friends up to Voldemort, the same man that had sent Sirius to Azkaban.

This Peter wasn't a traitor, she'd make sure of it.

"Good," she smiled. "Just make you sure you never forget."

 **}{** **—** **}{** **—** **-}{**

The following day, Hermione skipped out on Herbology and Ancient Runes in the afternoon to seclude herself in the Room of Requirement.

Her watches were all complete. There was still the issue of them burning out after just one use, but Hermione could tackle that by creating thousands of them. Although the process took three months to complete, she was slowly but surely building up her supply.

The next step was creating a Horcrux tracker, as she had no idea where on earth Voldemort had placed them. Harry had yet to yet to born and so there were currently only six Horcruxes. Nagini was certainly at his side, and Ravenclaw's Diadem was nestled within Hogwarts. That left four to track down: the diary that Lucius had slipped to Ginny, Marvolo Gaunt's ring, Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.

Once she tracked them down, destroying them would be an issue. Gryffindor's sword had only worked because it had been coated in basilisk venom when Harry had faced the monster in the chamber. It was useless now. This left her with only two methods: Basilisk venom and fiendfyre. Of the two, she preferred fiendyre. Basilisk venom was all but impossible to come by; the creatures were believed to be extinct, but fiendfyre also meant that discretion went out the window.

Voldemort would most likely know as soon as she destroyed the first one, so that meant she'd have to hold on to all of them and destroy them together. The thought wasn't very comforting.

With a shake of her head, Hermione threw herself into her research, there just had to be a better way.

 **}{—}{—}{**

"Meadowes is looking for you" Peter suddenly said.

"It's almost curfew" Hermione frowned.

"She still wants to see you" Peter shrugged.

"Why?" She'd already handed in all the extra homework this morning, so that couldn't be it.

"She didn't say" Peter shrugged, "she just said to tell you to meet her on the seventh floor, by the tapestry"

Hermione's faced paled. That was the location of the room of requirement.

"By the tapestry? Are you sure?" She asked.

"Positive" Peter nodded.

"Fuck" Hermione muttered under her breath, quickly packing away her stuff. "I'll see you later" she managed to get out, before quickly making her way to the seventh floor.

When she arrived, Meadowes was leaning against the wall across from the tapestry, right where the secret door to the room was. Hermione instantly noticed that instead of her black teaching robes, she wore her red Auror ones.

"I'm pretty sure that this is now bordering on harassment" Hermione said flippantly, her patience at an end as she came face to face with the one person that had gone out of their way to make her life harder than it already was.

"So report me to school board" Meadowes smirked, "and whilst your at it, report yourself. Let them know that you breached the wards of Hogwarts."

Hermione froze in place, the words sent a cold electric current down her spine but on the outside, she kept her composure.

"Have you finally gone mad?" Hermione smirked, "too many curses to the head?" She demanded.

Meadowes' smirk grew, her dark brown eyes filled with triumphant. She took a single step forward, barely leaving any space between her and Hermione. "You may have closed your little head off to the world" Meadowes grinned "but your _friends_ aren't as talented"

Hermione paled as she realised exactly who Meadowes was referring to, there was only one person who knew anything remotely incriminating about her, but Benjy knew Occlumency, she'd taught it to him back in her second year.

"You should be proud of Mr Fenwick" Meadowes smiled, "it took me months to breach through his shields and even now, I only know bits and pieces. You've taught him well"

Hermione's mind raced, trying to come up with a solution.

"Believe it or not Ms Evans" Meadowes said, "you and I are on the same side"

"Are we now?" Hermione grimaced.

"As long as you don't plan on joining Voldemort's cause, than yes, we are" Meadowes said curtly. She suddenly took a step back and paced three times. A door appeared, where their was once a brick wall.

"How do you know about this?" Hermione asked, as far as she was aware, Benjy didn't know about the room of requirement.

Meadowes smirked, "I plucked that bit of information from Mr Pettigrew" she pushed open the door, "come on" she demanded, "or should we both just report each other to the school board"

"Go ahead" Hermione shrugged, "Dumbledore would never let them expel me"

"No" Meadowes agreed, "but do you really want Albus Dumbledore knowing about your little watches?"

Anger, hot and heavy flared up within her.

"I didn't think so" Meadowes grinned, taking a step back, "in you go"

Hermione thought through the various scenarios but in the end, her curiosity won out. She entered the room, she wasn't sure what to expect but a circular duelling platform was not it.

"You want to duel?" Hermione questioned.

"Not exactly" Meadowes answered. "I want to do what I came here to do" Meadowes smiled, "I want to train you."

Hermione snorted, "I don't need your training"

Meadowes swished her wand and a large stack of familiar parchment appeared in her hand, "these" she held them up, "tell me that you do." She frowned, "they're the written portion of the test given to Auror trainees."

Hermione frowned, although the questions had been strange, she'd never assumed that they were anything but extra homework, let alone a test.

"You should be proud" Meadowes said "you scored very highly in certain areas, your knowledge of poisons was a little disturbing and your tactical ability was a lot higher than I'd been expecting, however" she dumped a pile of the parchments on the ground, holding up two pieces, "you scored rather low on communication and on team analysis"

"Team analysis?" Hermione frowned.

"It means that you don't utilise other people to the best of their abilities, seven out of ten times, you're likely to deal with the situation yourself. You view yourself as a soldier - not a leader" Meadowes said "and that it a problem for me Ms Evans, because you don't act like either. You don't want to be Dumbledore's girl but you also don't want to lead. You prefer to skulk in the shadows."

"You don't know anything about me." Hermione said through gritted teeth,

"I know that Mr Potter thinks that you're brilliant but very odd" Meadowes smirked "he can't understand Mr Black's obsession with you"

"I know that Mr Lupin thinks that you're sweet" she continued.

"I know that Ms McKinnon is wracked with guilt over her treatment towards you but doesn't know how to swallow her pride"

"I know that Mr Pettigrew thinks that you're the greatest Witch to walk the halls of Hogwarts"

"I know that Mr Fenwick views you as a little sister that's emotionally damaged"

"Shut up!" Hermione spat.

"I know that your sister thinks that you spend far too much time missing out on life" Meadowes continued.

"I said shut up!" She said through gritted teeth.

"I know that Mr Black can't figure out why he likes you so much" Meadowes shook her head, "he likes it when you're mean to him" she smirked "but his heart skips a beat when you smile" she laughed "and when you yell at him or roll your eyes, he can't help but focus on how pretty your are, he loves it when-"

Hermione brandished her wand, pointing it straight at Meadowes, "I told you to shut up" Hermione said coldly, the threat clear in her voice.

Meadowes held up her hands, "I know more about you than you realise, Ms Evans and I want you to seriously think on my offer, or we shall both find ourselves explaining our actions to the Ministry, breaching wards is after all _illegal_ "

Hermione lowered her wand and stormed out of the room, Dorcas Meadowes could go fuck herself.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The next morning was a Saturday, which also meant that it was the morning of the third Quidditch game of the year, Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw.

"I'm surprised that you're not wearing blue" Hermione quipped, taking a bite of her strawberry.

"Shhh" Lily quickly said, looking around the Great Hall.

"Is Levi suppose to be a secret, because you've done an awful job of keeping your extra curricular activities quiet" Hermione smirked. "I could hear Bertram telling Florence about it on our way to Ancient Runes the other day."

"Okay, we may have gotten a little carried away" Lily flushed "but he still can't hold a decent conversation" she frowned, "it's all Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch with him"

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear" Hermione grinned.

"What?" Lily squeaked, turning in her seat to see Levi all dressed up in his Quidditch gear making his way towards the Gryffindor table.

"What do I do?" Lily demanded, eyes wide.

"I don't know" Hermione shook her head, "but you better do something, James looks like he's going to throttle him"

Lily's green eyes grew even wider, zeroing in on James Potter and his friends. James' face was an ugly shade of red and it was only Remus' calming hand on his shoulder that kept him from wielding his tightly gripped wand.

"You're the captain" she could hear Remus say, "you don't want to be banned from the game, do you?"

Hermione's focus drifted from the sweet Remus to the overtly chirpy Levi now standing in front of her and Lily.

"Hi" Lily managed to get out, her face a sickly green.

"Hey" Levi smiled, his dimples showing. Hermione had to give it to him, the boy was attractive.

"Good luck today" Lily quickly said.

"Thanks" Levi grinned, "Gryffindor aren't that hard to beat, so we're not too worried"

James Potter was halfway out of his seat by the time Remus managed to get a hold of him and drag him back down.

Hermione's conversation with Levi drifted to the forefront of her mind.

" _As a spectator, this is always my favourite game to watch" Levi suddenly spoke._

" _Oh" Hermione turned away from the Quidditch field to look at him "why?" she asked_

" _The players completely lose their heads" he grinned "tactics fly out the window and it comes down to brute force and talent" he said_

Levi was clearly trying to rile up James and make him lose his cool.

"Actually I was hoping that you could brighten up my day before the match" Levi grinned.

"And how would I do that?" Lily frowned,

"By agreeing to go to Hogsmede with me next week"

Remus and Peter were now physically holding James in place whilst Sirius seemed to be riling him up.

"Oh" Lily grimaced, sending Hermione 'save me' looks. Hermione did what all sisters do on such occasions and ignored her.

"I suppose" Lily sighed.

"Great" Levi grinned, "we'll have a great time"

"Yeah" Lily grimaced, "I'm sure we will"

 **}{—}{—}{**

"You could have said no" Hermione shrugged, they were sat in the stands, watching the two teams get ready for kick off.

"And you could have saved me" Lily replied.

"You're a big girl" Hermione grinned

"Mind, if we sit?"

Hermione jumped in her seat, surprised to see Sirus, Peter and Remus.

"Go ahead" Lily said with a smirk, ignoring Hermione's glare.

Meadowes' little after school ambush yesterday had sent her head into a spin, she'd thought about it a lot, about the training that the woman could offer and how it could help turn the tide of the war but no matter what she did, her mind always wondered back to Meadowes' words about Sirius.

"Hey" Sirius grinned, taking the empty seat next to her.

"Hey" Hermione awkwardly replied back, he smelt nice, but then he always did, he looked nice as well, with a form fitting red sweater that was tight around his broad shoulders.

"And they're off!" Yelled the announcer.

"I thought that you didn't like Quidditch?" Sirius asked over the noise of the crowd, leaning in closer than necessary.

"I don't" Hermione replied, "but Lily wouldn't let me skip"

"I'm glad she didn't" Sirius replied, a smile on his lips.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then Meadowes' words hit her like a train: _"and when you yell at him or roll your eyes, he can't help but focus on how pretty your are, he loves it when-"_

He loved it when she did what exactly? Hermione wondered.

"And Potter steals the bat and shoots the Bludger right at Dumont" the announcer called out "can somebody remind Potter that he is a Chaser and not a Beater" he quipped, "Dumont swerves and, oh, dear, he's hit it right back at Potter" the announcer gleefully said, "I think we can all agree that this is over a girl"

"Mr Sanchez!" Professor McGonagall barked.

"Sorry, Professor" the announcer replied. "I'll stay on topic-goal! Ten points to Ravenclaw, Gryffindor's Chasers need to get their heads in the game"

In the end Gryffindor lost, Ravenclaw were twenty points ahead when their Seeker caught the snitch. The Common Room was deserted by eight, with no one wanting to stick around and watch James wallow in pity.

Levi had played him and won.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

Hermione was up earlier than she'd ever intended, a strange fluttering in her stomach ruining her asleep.

"I think I'm sick" she told Lily, who was prancing about in front of the mirror.

Lily frowned and came over, placing her hand on Hermione's forehead, "you're not sick" Lily shook her head, "it's probably just butterflies" she smirked

"I don't get butterflies" Hermione scowled.

"How is someone so clever yet so stupid?" Lily wondered aloud, walking back towards the mirror. "Get up" she demanded "we have to get you ready"

Hermione frowned, her eyes glancing to the clock, they had at least two hours left. "It's too early in the day for this" she grumbled, lying back down on her bed.

Lily put her hands on her hips and sent her a glare that their Mum would be proud of, "Tiffany Kim is going to be all dolled up, looking unbelievably pretty and you're going to show up wearing a jumper with old jeans, looking like her frumpy Mum"

Hermione raised her head, the image sending an odd uncomfortable trickle down her spine.

"She's already stolen Benjy, do you really want her to scare off Sirius as well?"

Hermione scowled, sitting up, "you can't steal a person" she snapped "and I would love nothing more than for Sirius to stop bothering me"

Lily snorted, disbelief colouring her face, "sure you do"

"What's that suppose to mean?" Hermione questioned.

"It means that I have eyes and you looked pretty pleased with yourself during the Quidditch game" she said with an eye roll, "now get up, I'm going to make you look amazing."

Hermione thought it through for a moment and then rose up from her bed with a huff.

"No jumpers!" Lily snapped, waiting for Hermione to discharge her Cerberus guard dog before opening up her trunk. "Let's see what we have here" she grinned. Lily started dumping a large amount of Hermione's clothes out of her trunk and on to her bed.

"We want you to look effortlessly cute and not like we've spent two hours picking out your clothes"

"On that we agree" Hermione nodded. That was all they agreed on as the twins spent an hour arguing over outfits.

"The hat is too much" Hermione scowled.

"The hat is what elevates the whole outfit" Lily frowned.

"I thought the heeled boots did that" Hermione huffed.

"No the shoes make your legs look longer" Lily shook her head. "Trust me baby sister, you look great."

Hermione frowned at her reflection in the mirror, she wore black jeans far tighter than she preferred, a striped black and white t-shirt with a black and white checkered shirt over it, she wore ankle heeled black boots on her feet and a black fedora over her curly hair.

"I'm going to freeze to death" she grumbled.

"Use a warming charm" Lily smirked, "what time are you meeting them?"

"At ten by the gates. Where are you meeting Levi?"

"By the gates as well but at ten thirty"

"Are you trying to avoid James Potter?" Hermione smirked

"You saw that match, it was a shoddy pissing contest" Lily frowned "the last thing I need is James going all crazy on poor Levi"

"I doubt leaving thirty minutes later will change anything. You'll still most likely see him in Hogsmeade"

"Probably" Lily conceded "but then I can find a quiet little corner to castrate him without getting caught" she smirked.

"Let me know if you need help" Hermione laughed.

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

When her last hour was up, Hermione forced her feet to move, although she loathed to admit it, the butterflies in her stomach had tripled, making her feel queasy.

"It's just Sirius Black" she quietly whispered to herself, "just annoying, troublemaker, Black"

She got off the last step, surprised to see Sirius waiting for her in the Common Room.

He was leaning back against the wall, dressed in brown boots, dark blue trousers, a blue jumper with a red shirt underneath and a light green coat on top. His hair was elegantly messy, the dark curls brushing against his shoulders, he was laughing at something Peter had said, when his eyes landed on her.

His whole face lit up and her heart skipped a beat at the sight.

"Get a grip, Evans" she demanded of herself, forcing her feet to move. "Hey" she grinned, when she came to a stop in front of Sirius, "you look nice."

"Thanks" Sirius smiled. "It's just some old stuff I had in my trunk"

"It's all brand new" Peter smirked, earning himself a thump on the back from Sirius.

"We better go" Sirius quickly said, "Fenwick and Kim will be waiting."

The walk down to the gates was awkward and stilted only breaking when they caught sight of Tiffany and Benjy.

She was dressed slightly over the top, with a short blue skirt, a blue sweater, a black form fitting jacket, black polka dot tights and what looked like a very expensive clutch. Benjy was in matching blue, in jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball jacket.

"Do you think we should have colour co-ordinated" Sirius laughed.

"Definitely not" Hermione grinned "this is going to be a nightmare isn't it" she grimaced

"Oh yeah" Sirius agreed.

 **}{—}{—}{**

 **I know there's some who hate the romance and want it solely to be focused on Voldemort etc and others who feel the opposite, as the story goes on, it will get darker, less cute Hogsmeade dates and worrying about clothes and more about trying not to die. Enjoy the fluff whilst it lasts.**

 **See you next week.**

 **El.**


	18. Chapter 18

_Happy Thanksgiving, for those celebrating._

 _El._

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

"It's nice to properly meet you" Tiffany grinned, holding her hand out for Hermione to shake, "Benjy's told me a lot about you"

"Likewise" Hermione smiled, shaking the offered hand, "this is Sirius" she introduced.

"Hi" Sirius grinned, shaking Tiffany's hand.

"Can we go already?" Benjy frowned, "I'm freezing."

"Why did you wear such a thin coat?" Hermione questioned as they began the trek down to the village.

"It was the only blue coat that I owned" Benjy answered, sending his girlfriend a look that Hermione couldn't decipher.

"A warming charm will be enough" Tiffany reassured him.

"Whipped" Sirius mumbled under his breath, loud enough for them all to hear.

Benjy sent him a glare that could kill but Hermione had to agree with her date. Benjy had a placating nature, if he liked you enough, he'd bend over backwards to do whatever was asked of him. Lucky for him, he liked very few people in life.

"Hermione" Tiffany began with a smile, "how long have you and Sirius been together?" She asked curiously.

"We're not together" Hermione shook her head.

"Really!?" Tiffany exclaimed eyes wide, "sorry it's just that you're always together in the Common Room, so I just assumed"

"I'm surprised that Black could penetrate her _'_ _look at me and die aura_ _'_ " Benjy laughed "you must be made of stern stuff' he said to Sirius, whose chest puffed out at the praise.

"I'm not that bad" Hermione frowned.

"You use to tell me to get lost about twenty five times a day" Sirius smirked, "now it's down to about three."

"Only took you five years" Benjy smirked. "It took me two months of constantly nagging her for her to move on from telling me to leave her alone to silently ignoring my existence"

"Yeah, but she was only eleven" Sirius argued, "much easier to scale her impenetrable walls back then."

"Alright, alright" Hermione conceded. "I'm a difficult person."

"We still love you" Benjy smirked.

Tiffany had one of those smiles on her faces that Hermione was use to wearing, all strained and stretched out and she felt a twinge of guilt over it.

"How are your NEWTs going?" Hermione asked her.

Tiffany seemed surprised at the question but she quickly snapped out of her stupor, "oh, not too bad"she smiled, "I wish I'd never taken Divinations, Professor Trelawney is awful" she frowned "but Professor Meadowes is absolutely brilliant, she answers everything before I even raise my hand."

"Right" Hermione awkwardly smiled, Meadowes was most likely reading her mind without her knowing.

"She knows her stuff" Benjy agreed, "but she's a bit full on" he frowned.

"She's crazy" Sirius scowled and Hermione couldn't help but smile at his bluntness. Meadowes was definitely insane, there was now way that Hermione was taking her up on her offer. She'd let Meadowes go ahead and explain how she'd invaded the minds of minors to the Wizengamot.

"What? Why?" Tiffany demanded.

"She just is" Sirius shrugged, his eyes landing on Hermione.

"What did she do?" Tiffany asked, "give you detention for one of your stupid pranks?"

"His pranks aren't stupid." Hermione disagreed, earning three identical looks of disbelief, "they're childish, not stupid, there's a big difference." She asserted, "Just look at their last prank, the level of intelligence needed to change the Slytherin Quidditch uniforms from green to red and to time it so that it happened as they were flying is rather high" she argued.

A smug gloating grin appeared on Sirius' face and Tiffany seemed taken aback, looking to Benjy for some guidance.

"Why don't we go to the Three Broomsticks?" Benjy suggested, an awkward smile on his face.

The foursome made their way through Hogsmeade village, Hermione was surprised at the amount of students walking around, the numbers attending had rapidly fallen over the year as the war escalated, but the walls of Hogwarts had become grim and tense, she supposed that everyone just wanted a chance to escape.

They settled in at a table furthest from the window, Hermione and Sirius on one side with Benjy and Tiffany across from them.

"Babe, get me a cold Butterbeer" Benjy told her.

Tiffany sent him a look but stood up none the less, "fine" she agreed.

"I'll help" Hermione offered.

"Sirius can help" Benjy said.

Sirius scowled at him, but a pleading look from Hermione kept him in place, "what do you want to drink?" He asked Hermione.

"Gillywater" she smiled.

He got up without a word, his displeasure clear.

When they were alone, Hermione glared at her best friend.

"What was that?" She demanded.

"I just wanted a moment alone" Benjy said.

"That much was clear to everyone" Hermione frowned, "you're not very subtle."

"I'm a Hufflepuff, we don't do subtly" he grinned.

"What do you want?" She sighed.

"After we're done here, this shit is over. Tell Tiff that you want some alone time with the troublemaker"

"This was _your_ idea" Hermione reminded him.

"No, this was Tiffany's idea" Benjy corrected, "she roped me into it and I did the same to you. Now you've properly met and talked and you even scared her a little, so I think that's enough"

"When did I scare her?" Hermione demanded.

"When you jumped to Black's defence" Benjy retorted.

"Oh, please, that was nothing" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"She's very sensitive" Benjy shrugged "and your reputation precedes you."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the return of Sirius and Tiffany.

"One Gillywater" he said, placing the drink down in front of her.

"Thanks" Hermione smiled as he sat down.

"What were you two chatting about?" Tiffany asked, taking her seat besides Benjy.

"Hermione wants to go and see the Shrieking Shack" Benjy lied.

"What?" Tiffany asked, eyes wide.

Hermione momentarily hesitated earning herself a kick under the table, fortunately for her, Benjy kicked the wrong person.

"Ow!" Sirius exclaimed, "that was _my_ foot" he glared.

"Apologies" Benjy grimaced, "I was stretching my legs and your foot got in the way" he lied.

Sirius' grey eyes darkened, a scowl appearing on his face but Hermione spoke up before he could say anything , "I'm just so fascinated by the Shack, I'd really like to go."

Tiffany gave her a strained smile, clearly terrified to go near the Shack. "I've heard that's it's haunted." She nervously said.

"Oh, in the case, we definitely need to go inside" Sirius said

"Inside!" Tiffany cried "I don't think that that's a good idea" she shook her head.

"You're a Gryffindor" Sirius smirked "I'm sure that you can handle it."

"I think it would be best if Benjy and I stayed here" Tiffany suggested.

"Oh no babe" Benjy said, trying his best to hide his smile. "We should go along, I'm sure it'll be fun"

"No" Tiffany shook her head. "I insist that we stay."

"Alright" Benjy nodded "we'll do this again another time."

"Definitely" Sirius said quickly but it was clear that he didn't mean it.

Sirius and Hermione quickly downed their drinks and left the couple to it.

"I thought we'd never escape" Sirius laughed as they walked away from the Three Broomsticks.

"Well, you have Benjy to thank for that. He was as miserable as we were."

"Never again" Sirius shook his head.

"Agreed" Hermione smiled. "Where do you want to go?" She asked.

"Zonko's" he grinned "and then we can check out the Shack if you want"

"Won't Remus get mad?" She asked as they made their way to Zonko's. The Shack belonged to Remus, it was the only safe space he had at Hogwarts, she'd hate to invade it without his permission.

"We won't go inside" Sirius shook his head, "but it's quite a sight from afar" he said.

"Okay, sounds like a plan" Hermione smiled.

Zonko's was packed with students all desperate to get their hands on the latest offerings. It was no surprise to see the rest of the Marauders by the corner.

"Sirius!" James called, waving him over.

Sirius gave Hermione an apologetic look before dragging her over to his friends.

"Hey, Hermione" Peter grinned, delighted to see her.

"Hey Peter, Remus" she grinned, the smiled dropped off her face as she addressed James, "Potter." She said less enthusiastically.

She had a strange relationship with James Potter, as first years she tended to avoid him, his face was too similar to an old friend and seeing him use to greatly sadden her.

By second year, James was besotted with Lily, making it impossible to avoid him, his personality however was the complete opposite to Harry, making it easier to differentiate the two.

Years later and she didn't have much of a relationship with the Quidditch captain, she wasn't friends with him like Peter, she didn't casually talk to him like Remus and she certainly didn't know him as well as she knew Sirius.

All she really knew about James Potter was that he was annoying but harmless and that one day, he'd grow up to be a decent man, who'd once upon a time sacrificed himself for his family.

"Hey Hermione" James grinned "is Lily coming to Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah" Hermione nodded, "she was planning to meet up with Levi by the gates, so unless you've stuffed him in a broom closet, then she should be around here somewhere."

"Levi?" James grimaced, his hazel eyes dangerously sparking "he's a right bastard, what does she see in him?"

"He's cute, funny and he dresses well" Hermione honestly answered.

"You think that he's cute!" James and Sirius simultaneously said.

Hermione startled in place at their reactions, "yes?" She answered but it came out as more of a question, her eyes on Sirius.

"He's not that good looking" Sirius disagreed, his grey eyes darkening.

"He's rather ugly if you ask me" James added.

"Well, it's a good thing that no one was asking you" Hermione grinned.

James scowled at her, unamused.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius suddenly asked Peter, trying to steer the conversation on to safer topics. "I thought you were coming with Clarissa"

"The Hufflepuff?" Hermione asked, vaguely remembering that the girl had a crush on Peter.

"She got a better offer" Peter shrugged.

"Fucking Avery" James scowled, "forget the girl Peter, only a moron would go anywhere near a Slytherin"

"Unlucky mate" Sirius frowned "you're much better looking than Avery" he unhelpfully added.

"Thanks" Peter rolled his eyes.

"Hermione and I are going to have a look around and then go" Sirius informed them.

"Alright" James nodded, "we'll see you back at the castle"

With a nod, Sirius and Hermione walked away from the trio.

"You could have stayed with them" Hermione told him.

"I'd much rather spend time with you" Sirius smiled, causing a weightless sensation to swoop in her stomach.

They stayed at Zonko's for a while, Hermione didn't buy anything but Sirius seemed determined to get half the shop.

"I don't even want to know what you plan to do with all that stuff" Hermione smiled as they walked towards the Shrieking Shack.

"You've got no reason to worry" Sirius smiled "you and Lily are the only people alive that are exempt from a Marauder prank."

"So did that start because you liked me or because James liked Lily?"

"Because James liked Lily" Sirius truthfully answered, "he didn't think pranking his future sister in law would help further his chances of getting Lily, but in my defence - we were twelve."

"I thought you started to like me back in second year?" Hermione questioned, remembering how he'd taken all the same classes as her on purpose.

"I said you intrigued me back in second year, big difference" he smirked.

"So when did you like me?" She asked with a raised a brow.

Sirius smirked at her. "I think around the end of third year" he answered, "James and I spent a lot of time that year arguing over the prank ban on you"

"You wanted to prank me?" Hermione frowned as they came to the edge of Hogsmeade village, the Shrieking Shack just down the hill.

"I wanted you to know that I existed" Sirius replied. "Thirteen year old me thought that pranking you would be the best way to get your attention."

"Thirteen year old you was an idiot" Hermione replied.

"On that we agree" Sirius laughed. "But you were impossible to approach" he said "one look and most girls went ga ga over me. Don't tell James but I'm sure that Lily went through a Sirius phase"

"Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?" Hermione laughed "and sorry to disappoint but Lily went through a Remus phase, all the girls did"

Sirius looked aghast at the idea, "Remus?" He choked out.

"Remus is handsome" Hermione informed him "and clever and funny, half the girls in our year would happily date him."

"Does that include you?" Sirius asked. He looked confident and unshakable but she could see the crack in his armour, it was tiny and hidden away but it was there.

"No" she answered truthfully, "I'm exactly where I want to be" she smiled.

A large smug grin appeared on his face, a spark appearing in his grey eyes. Sirius took a step closer, standing only inches away.

"I don't think you realise how much I like you" he suddenly confessed, the weightless sensation reappeared and Hermione could no longer deny that they were indeed butterflies.

"I wish you didn't" she honestly replied.

Sirius frowned, worry in his grey eyes. She never compared him to his older self, to the loyal mad man that had escaped Azkaban. They were too different but for once she wished she could, she wished that she could look at sixteen year old Sirius Black with his broad shoulders, warm eyes and to die for smile and see the broken soul that he had once been.

That would have made dealing with him so much simpler.

"Why?" Sirius asked

"Because I'm complicated." She said _and dangerous_ she silently added. War was on the horizon and she had a mission to accomplish, a boy, someone to love, would just make everything a thousand times harder.

"Look around Evans, the whole world is fucking complicated."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but a resounding crack suddenly came from behind her and then another and another and another.

In a matter of seconds the village of Hogsmeade was surrounded by people in black robes and white masks.

Hermione had her wand out in seconds, she instinctively stepped in front of Sirius, shielding him.

A deafening crack came inches away from Hermione, revealing Dorcas Meadowes, who put herself between Hermione and the five Death Eaters blocking their path.

"Run" Meadowes ordered.

"No." Hermione refused, stepping to stand besides her. Lily and Benjy were in the village, there was no way that she was abandoning them, although Benjy had the watch, she doubted that he'd abandon Tiffany and use it.

She wasn't surprised, when Sirius stood on her other side, wand out, ready to fight.

"This isn't a game" Meadowes snapped, eyes focused on the Death Eaters. "Leav-"

"Confringo!" a Death Eater to the left called out and it was like a signal they'd all been waiting for.

At once everyone began firing off curses. Meadowes tried to take three on at once but it was clear that they were all aiming for Hermione. In the end, she managed to ensnare two, leaving two for Hermione and one for Sirius.

"Imperio!"

Hermione ducked behind a tree, firing back "Sectumsempra!"

The two Death Eater put up a shield and fired back just as quickly. She couldn't tell who they were behind their masks but that mattered very little, she'd spent years fighting their kind.

They shot curses back and forth, all around her, Hermione could hear people fighting. How many had Voldemort sent to slaughter students? She wondered.

"Crucio!"

Hermione dodged but was under fire from the second Death Eater, her shield instantly went up, too quick for their curses.

"Diffindo!"

It didn't come from the two that Hermione was facing but from the ones attacking Meadowes.

A cry cut through the air and out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Meadowes fall to her knees, a hand over one of her eyes.

One of the Death Eaters Meadowes had faced was dead on the ground and the second was about to strike her down.

Without think it through, Hermione ducked behind the tree and aimed her wand at him.

"Avada Kedavra!" She cried, a green spark flew out of her wand and hit the Death Eater in the chest. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"Imperio!" Hermione shot out at one of the two she'd originally been facing, taking advantage of their surprise.

It hit the Death Eater and at once he was a puppet under her command. She used him to fight the other, two on one the Death Eater had no chance.

"Incarcerous!" Hermione cried and ropes shot out of her wand, tightly wrapping themselves around the Death Eater.

"Sit" she ordered the one under the Imperius curse and he immediately obliged.

Hermione took a moment to catch her breath before making her way over to Sirius who had Meadowes' head on his lap.

"You'll be fine" he quietly kept repeating. He looked shaken but uninjured, the same could not be said for Meadowes, she had numerous cuts over her body but the most serious injury was to her eye.

Meadowes had her hand tightly over it but the area around her hand was soaked in blood. Hermione doubted that the eye could be saved.

Numerous cracks sounded all around them, instead of black robes and white masks, this time, they were surrounded by red robes with the Ministry insignia.

The Aurors had finally turned up.

"Meadowes!" One of the Aurors called, rushing to her side.

"It just a scratch" Meadowes feebly grinned.

"I've got her" The Auror barked at Sirius, who relinquished care of Meadowes to the man. He hoisted her up into his arms and disappeared with a crack.

"Are you kids alright?" An Auror asked, she was rather young, with a round face and brown eyes.

"I'm fine" Sirius answered, "Hermione?" He asked worriedly

"I'm fine" Hermione answered.

Another Auror had incapacitated the two that Hermione had dealt with, two others were dead on the ground and the fifth was nowhere in sight.

"Meadowes got them good!" Said the second Auror, he was older than the first with a head of blonde hair and a beard to match. "I think this one's been Imperiused" he frowned, looking at the one Hermione had used the Unforgivable on. "The paperwork's going to be a bitch" he snapped.

"It'll be easy to explain" said the female Auror. "Meadowes was protecting Hogwarts students against four Death Eaters, Moody will understand."

Sirius sent Hermione a look but kept quiet.

"I'm Auror Longbottom" said the woman, "that's Auror Dearborn." The blonde haired man waved at them as he stood over the bodies of the now unconscious Death Eaters, he'd removed their masks, revealing their faces. They were two middle aged men that Hermione didn't recognise.

"I'll be escorting you back to Hogwarts." Auror Longbottom said, it was only then that Hermione made the connection between the woman in front of her and her old friend Neville.

Hermione and Sirius walked behind the woman, everywhere they looked seemed to be a disaster, hundreds of Aurors filled the small town of Hogsmeade, patching up injured students, escorting others and rounding up the few Death Eaters that hadn't managed to escape.

The entire village seemed destroyed, Zonko's had been blown to pieces, the Three Broomsticks was missing a roof, there didn't seem to be a single shop left fully intact and at the centre of the town, standing as a calm beacon of hope, was Albus Dumbledore.

"Albus" Auror Longbottom greeted.

"Alice" Dumbledore replied, a rare frown on his face, "Ms Evans, Mr Black, I'm glad to see that you are both well" he said, the relief clear in his tone.

"Professor have you seen Lily or Benjy?" Hermione asked, worry eating away at her. Those Death Eaters hadn't been after Sirius or Meadowes, they'd come for her.

"And James and the others?" Sirius demanded.

"Mr Potter, Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew have safely been escorted to Hogwarts, I do believe that Mr Pettigrew is currently in the hospital - wing" Dumbledore said turning his eyes on Hermione, they were dark and grave, promising only bad news. "Mr Fenwick is at Hogwarts" he said "but Ms Evans has been taken to St Mungo's."

Hermione's heart momentarily stopped beating, before stuttering to life, furiously racing in her chest.

"Is she alright?" Hermione managed to ask.

"Physically, she will make a full recovery." Dumbledore said. "Professor McGonagall will tell you more, once you are safely back in your Common Room."

Hermione didn't want to leave, she wanted to demand to know what was wrong with Lily, but it was clear that Dumbledore wouldn't tell her anything.

Begrudgingly she walked behind Auror Longbottom. Hogwarts' defences were up, Aurors stood guard on every floor, Ministry officials roamed the corridors and Auror Longbottom stayed glued to their side until they were safely in Gryffindor's Common Room.

"Sirius!"

James suddenly appeared, throwing his arms around Sirius. Sirius hugged him back just as fiercely.

In a slight stupor, Hermione looked around the Common Room, everyone seemed to be there, the younger years looked terrified, the older lot sat in silence, everyone still in the ruined clothing they'd worn to Hogsmeade, a few kids were bawling their eyes out, including Marlene, who was wrapped tightly around Arlo.

Confused, Hermione made her way to the duo. Arlo spotted her first, Marlene too distressed to notice anything. Before she could even ask what happened, Arlo answered her, "Diana didn't make it." She managed to say through gritted teeth.

It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach, she felt dizzy and sick all at once. Her heart painfully tightening in her chest.

"Diana?" She choked out, her eyes stinging with tears. Marlene sobbed harder at the name and Arlo had to stifle her own tears back.

"She's dead!" Marlene cried. "They killed her!" She sobbed. "I couldn't do anything" she shook her head, "they...they...just." She gave up on trying to talk, her body shaking in Arlo's arms.

Hermione fell into an empty chair, unable to speak. She'd known Diana since they were eleven, Marlene and her had been inseparable since day one.

"I'm sorry" she managed to get out. She'd been through this situation countless times and yet it never got easier.

Sirius, James and Remus came and sat at their table, looking around, everyone seemed to be with their own year groups.

The third years were the loudest lot, the four Gryffindors being consoled by a few older students, Hermione didn't want to think about where the remaining five Gryffindor third years were.

"How's Peter?" Hermione asked.

"Pomfrey said he'd make a full recovery" Remus said, a grave frown on his face.

"They severed his arm." James said, furiously rubbing at his face.

"What?" Hermione breathed, feeling sick at the thought.

"Pomfrey can mend it." He added, his eyes straying to the crying Marlene. "He put himself between one of those monsters and a few third year Ravenclaws" James grimaced, "I don't know what he was thinking, he was taken out in seconds." He shook his head.

"And the Ravenclaws?" Hermione dared to ask.

James couldn't answer her, averting her gaze.

"They're dead." Remus answered, anger and sadness brewing in his brown eyes.

Hermione felt sick, but she had to ask, "do you know what happened to Lily?"

"No" Remus answered, "we saw her with Dumont by the Three Broomsticks earlier on but nothing since the attack."

They fell into silence after that, the cries of a few students the only noise in the Common Room until the portrait door swung open, later in the evening, revealing Professor McGonagall.

She looked tired and worn down, Hermione was desperate to ask her about Lily but before anyone could say anything, she began to speak.

"I will answer all your questions in due time" she promised, "I know that you have all suffered terribly today and I sincerely apologise to you all." Her eyes went to Marlene and the third years, who were all still sobbing.

She held up a parchment for them all to see, "this is a list of all those that have been injured and all those that we have lost tonight." She said gravely. "I will put it up on the notice board, so that you all may have a look." She informed them.

"Currently five Gryffindors are at St Mungo's, three are still in surgery, however I have been notified that Mr Roger Kenzo and Ms Lily Evans have both been given the all clear and will return tomorrow."

Hermione sighed in relief, Dumbledore had already told her that Lily would be fine, but her trust in the Headmaster was sorely lacking.

"It is late." McGonagall said "and far past curfew for the younger years, although it may be difficult, I urge you all to sleep" she said "tomorrow we shall begin to heal."

With those parting words, she placed the parchment on the notice board and walked out in a leisurely pace.

Everyone waited until she was gone, when the portrait door swung shut, a number of students crowded around the parchment.

An older boy, that Hermione recognised as a seventh year, ripped the parchment off the board.

"Back off!" He snapped, "I'll read it out for everyone!" He said, climbing up one of the tables."My name is Logan Cresna" he told the assembled Gryffindors.

His eyes raked over the parchment, his face turning red as the seconds ticked by. "Unbelievable!" He snapped, "there's not a single fucking Slytherin on this list!"

"Is that a surprise!" Yelled out a girl, "they're all waiting to join you-know-who's ranks."

"You can say his name!" Logan spat back.

"Read out the list!" A young boy demanded.

Logan looked like he wanted to keep arguing but thought better of it.

"I'll start with the Gryffindors" he said "I'll work backwards, start off with the seventh years and end with the third years." He grimaced."Those who are dead" he began "are Joey Thompson, Oliver Alexander, Diana Zhou, Kane Samson, Felicity Truman, Drew McGuire and Margaret Doyle." He finished.

"Those on the injured list" he said, "are Lily Evans, Peter Pettigrew, Roger Kenzo, Paige Mansfield, Jaqueline Seron and Claire Horan."

"What about the rest of the Houses?" A younger student asked.

"Gryffindor has seven students dead, six injured." Logan answered "Ravenclaw has six dead and three injured, Hufflepuff has nine dead and two injured, Slytherin has zero dead and zero injured."

The Common Room burst into furious noise, everyone yelling over each other.

"Name the fifth years!" James demanded.

Everyone fell silent as Logan checked the list.

"Only three fifth years died" he said, "most of the dead seemed to be third years." He grimaced, anger in his eyes. "Diana Zhou from Gryffindor" he said, pausing as Marlene's sobs grew louder, "Clarissa Carver from Hufflepuff and Levi Dumont from Ravenclaw."

 **}{—-}{—-}{**

 _Believe it or not, I wrote this whole damn chapter on my iPhone! I wasn't even sure if there was going to be an update this week as my laptop became all glitchy and slow but I persevered but there was no way that I was getting it to my Beta in time, so apologises for the overall quality, I do hope that you still enjoyed it._

 _El._


	19. Chapter 19

_**Apologies for the lack of updates, if you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know that I've had some computer trouble, which made it impossible to stick to the regular schedule. This chapter is half of a whole, but I figured you guys preferred half a chapter than no chapter.**_

 _ **Updates will commence as normal next week.**_

 _ **El.**_

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione was one of the first up to bed, she'd tried to be of some help to Marlene but had proved rather useless in that endeavour. Once upon a time, she would have been the first to try and console the girl but Hermione had faced the task so often that even in another life it still haunted her.

Marlene had downed a sleeping potion from Madam Pomfrey which lasted for a few hours, giving Hermione the peace and quiet she needed to think the days events through.

From the stories she'd heard that evening, things were far worse than she'd expected. The Death Eaters had apparated into the heart of the village, slaughtering anyone in sight. The citizens of Hogsmeade and the older students did their best to protect the younger ones, shoving them into the stores that lined the streets but seventh and sixth years weren't a real match for battle ready killers.

She'd asked around but no one had seen how Levi had died or how Lily had become injured. Hermione felt a familiar and unwelcome ache settle heavily on her chest, as her thoughts went to the dead.

It wasn't grief that kept her awake that night - but anger.

Levi wasn't really her friend and he wasn't as nice as he liked to come across but he didn't deserve to die, not at the hands of some scum.

Although they were cordial at best, she'd considered Diana a friend and they'd ruthlessly killed her. Damaging the heart and souls of those left behind.

"Why did he do it?"

The question was so quiet that at first Hermione had thought that she'd imagined it but in the darkness of her dorm room, she spotted Arlo's tear filled eyes staring back at her.

"I'm not really sure" Hermione whispered back. This was a new development, in her original timeline, Voldemort had never dared risk an attack on Hogwarts, there was really no point. Slaughtering children would strike fear into the hearts of magical society but it would also ignite anger, anger against Voldemort and his cause.

But this time around _she_ was here, there was no doubt in her mind that those Death Eaters had been after her and most likely Lily as well. Unless the prophecy explicitly stated that it was the younger twin that was destined to end Voldemort than he had no way of knowing which of them he was after.

Anger sparked in Arlo's eyes, she glanced at the sleeping Marlene before returning her gaze to Hermione, "everything's going to be different now isn't it?" She whispered, a familiar mix of fear and anger in her tone.

"Yeah" Hermione sighed, unable to refute the claim. Numerous kids were dead and whether they all liked it or not, the rise of the sun would bring with it a far harsher reality.

 **}{—}{—}{**

Hermione had risen early, eager to get away from the grief that shrouded Marlene and Arlo, she'd expected the common room to be empty with perhaps one or two students milling about but it was as packed as when Hermione had gone off to bed.

A lot of the third years were missing but it seemed that all the seventh and sixth years were clustered around the fireplace in a heated exchange that bewildered Hermione.

"They're trying to decide what to do with the Slytherins" a voice spoke up from her right.

Hermione turned in surprise to see James Potter leaning against the wall, hawkishly watching the gathered crowd.

"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned.

James nodded his head towards the ring leader of the crowd, the same one who'd taken control last night, Logan Cresna. "He wants to attack them" James explained, "show Voldemort and his ilk that although they can terrorise us, we can return the favour and terrorise their spawn."

"Oh" Hermione breathed, not all that surprised. Gryffindor's were an impulsive lot, led by their hearts not their minds.

"Oh?" James questioned, scrutinising her, disappointment clear in his tone, "Lily would be appalled" he frowned, "she'd never agree to it" he shook his head, "in fact, if she was here, she'd go over there and tell them that it was wrong, that members of Slytherin House shouldn't be punished for the sins of their parents."

Hermione carefully watched him, his hands were tightly balled into fists, his shoulders were tense and his hair was messier than normal, every time he spoke, his jaw twitched with anger.

"Is that what you want to do?" Hermione curiously asked.

James looked at her, a dark undercurrent to his hazel eyes, "no" he said, "but I want to be someone that would want to do that" he sighed.

James' hazel eyes darkened, the undercurrent transforming into a raging storm. He leaned in closer so that no one could over hear, "I want to be someone who isn't okay with using _unforgivables_ " he said matter of factly, his gaze locking on to hers.

Disbelief crawled up Hermione's spine, Sirius had told him!

"Sirius is….unsettled" James breathed, "but I was fucking ecstatic" he frowned, his eyes growing large, "that isn't how a good person is suppose to feel" he shook his head.

"Sirius is unsettled?" Hermione questioned, disinterested in James' moral dilemma.

James' uncomfortably shrugged "Sirius has a lot of….family issues" he said, "your talent with" James looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one was listening, "the unforgivables, slightly bothered him" he admitted.

Hermione frowned, Sirius Black, unshakable, run head first into danger Sirius Black was unsettled by her actions? The thought bothered her more than she cared to admit.

"I'm going to the hospital-wing" Hermione muttered, "Lily should be back by now."

"Tell her I said hi" James said.

"Sure" Hermione promised.

The walk up to the hospital wing was an unusual one, there seemed to be an Auror or Professor on every floor, demanding to know where she was going.

"You can't stay long" Madam Pomfrey said when she finally made it. "Mr Pettigrew is still asleep and I won't be waking him just for you and Ms Evans has just arrived back from St Mungo's and needs her rest."

"I understand" Hermione nodded, as she followed the woman to the bed Lily occupied. Hermione had never seen the hospital wing so occupied in this life, it bought back memories that she'd worked hard to block out.

"Hermione" Lily grinned at the sight of her.

"Hey" Hermione beamed, hugging her tight. A weight of tension lifted off her shoulders at the sight of her sister. "Are you alright?" She demanded, pulling back from the hug and sitting on the bed, "what happened?" She asked

"I'm fine" Lily grinned, tears in her eyes, "I'm so glad that you're okay, I was so worried."

"I'm fine" Hermione assured her, tightly clasping Lily's hand. "What happened?" She demanded.

Lily grew pale, the colour draining from her face. "It happened so quickly" she shook her head, the tears growing. "One moment" her voice broke and she took a moment to regain her composure "Levi and I were walking down the high street and then the next, they were everywhere" she frowned, a spark of anger entering her green eyes.

"They just attacked" Lily shook her head, "we didn't stand a chance against them, we tried to run" Lily told her "but we weren't fast enough, they ki…killed Le..Levi first" she stuttered, "and I was sure I was next" she breathed, a tear falling down her face, "but then Professor Dumbledore showed up" she said through the tears, "you should have seen it Hermione" she sighed, "he appeared out of nowhere covered in flames - he saved me."

Hermione was unsure of what to say, Albus Dumbledore wasn't a bad man, just one that made bad decisions. "I'm glad he was there" she told her, "and I'm sorry that I wasn't"

Lily frowned at her, "you have nothing to be sorry for" she shook her head, "the only ones that should feel an ounce of remorse are those monsters." she growled.

"Ms Evans" Madam Pomfrey suddenly appeared, "it's time to go"

"Already?" Hermione frowned.

"Yes." Madam Pomfrey curtly said.

"I'll try and come by later" Hermione promised, rising to her feet, "and James Potter says hi"

Lily snorted at that, a small mile gracing her lips, it was tiny and full of grief but it was real.

With heavy footsteps Hermione made her way to her common room. It was still early but the common room was filled with even more students than there had been this morning, but instead of demanding retribution, they were all quietly eating breakfast.

Hermione spotted Remus alone by the windows and made her way over, "what's with all the food?" She asked

"House-elves brought it all" Remus sighed, "McGonagall showed up this morning and for today at least, the school is on lock down" he frowned

"We can't leave the common room?" Hermione frowned.

"Not for today." Remus sighed, "how was Lily?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"She seems fine" Hermione shrugged, "but she didn't go into much detail about what happened" she frowned.

"I can't imagine how hard it must have been" Remus frowned, "at least you and I got out of there without having to witness our friend die" he shook his head.

Hermione paused, wondering if there was some double meaning to Remus' words, had Sirius told him as well?

"Yeah" she lamely agreed. She wasn't certain how much Levi's death would impact Lily but she knew it wouldn't be an easy road, "If you see Sirius can you tell him that I need to talk to him?" She asked Remus.

"Yeah" Remus easily agreed, "but if you sit here long enough, he's bound to pop up, he's obsessed with you" Remus good naturally shaking his head.

Hermione doubted that but she couldn't exactly tell Remus. "I better get Marlene and Arlo some breakfast" she said, rising to her feet, "I'll see you later Remus."

 **}{—}{—-}{**

"How is she?" Hermione asked Arlo, putting the heap of food she'd brought up for them on her desk.

Marlene was wide awake, lying down on her bed and staring up at the canopy, tightly hugging her pillow to her chest.

"I think we may need to take her to Madam Pomfrey" Arlo quietly whispered.

"The hospital-wing's pretty full at the moment" Hermione frowned, "let's try and get her to eat something and if that doesn't work, we'll go and get Professor McGonagall."

Arlo nodded, moving towards the desk.

"There's a letter for you" Arlo suddenly said.

"Me?" Hermione frowned, Owls had been flying in and out of Hogwarts all night and into the morning as desperate parents heard about the attack but her parents were Muggle Born, they had no idea what was happening.

"It came when the Daily Prophet did and it skipped my mind, it's on my desk."

Curious, Hermione made her way over to Arlo's desk, there was a letter from Arlo's parents, a copy of the Daily Prophet with a picture of a destroyed Hogsmeade village with the headline _'you-know-who slaughters our children'_ across the front in bold printand an unopened letter.

Hermione grabbed it opened up the letter, surprised to learn that it was from Dorcas Meadowes. It was short and ratter confusing but Hermione had received enough letters from Mad Eye to know that she needed to read between the lines to get the real message.

 _Hermione,_

 _I thought you'd like to know that Gavin Macken, the Head of the Auror Department has commended me for the measures I undertook to protect the students of Hogwarts, no matter how extreme my methods_

 _Although you and I may disagree on teaching methods our goals are clearly the same,_ _all_ _our goals. As you can see the time for keeping our cards close to our chest is over, it's time that the both of you showed your hand._

 _D. Meadowes._

Hermione could discern that Meadowes was taking the blame for her use of unforgivables and wanted her and Dumbledore to have a discussion. Hermione heaved a sigh, Dumbledore was the last person she wanted to deal with but he was the one person except Voldemort that knew what the prophecy contained.

"Where are you going?" Arlo demanded.

"To see professor Dumbledore" she frowned, walking out of the room. She used a disillusionment charm before she reached the common room to avoid her fellow Gryffindors, although a number of heads turned towards the portrait door when it opened and shut by itself.

Hermione's vast knowledge of Hogwarts meant that she could avoid the patrols, the password to the gargoyle however was another matter.

"Lemon drops" she tried, but the statue remained unmoving.

"Sugar Quills"

"Fizzing Whizzbees"

"Iced Mice"

"I'm afraid I'm not all that fond of iced mice" said a familiar voice, it was warm and welcoming, it always had been, but Hermione knew the man behind the visage.

"Professor Dumbledore" Hermione said in greeting.

"Ms Evans" he replied, cordially. "The password this week is jelly slugs" the statue jumped to life, rising up and twisting to reveal a set of stairs that led to the Headmaster's office.

"Shall we?" Dumbledore asked.

Whatever hesitations she had, there was no room for them any longer, she followed Dumbledore up the stairs and into his office, sitting down across from the man.

"I know why you're here Ms Evans" Dumbledore began, "you're not the only one that Professor Meadowes wrote to" he sighed.

Hermione nodded, having come to that conclusion on her own.

"I must say Ms Evan that I deeply misjudged you" he began "and I am afraid that a few of my decisions have come across in the wrong manner." He frowned.

"A few?" Hermione frowned, remembering the Dementor attack.

"Perhaps more than a few" Dumbledore conceded, "there will be time for blame later, plenty of time, I can assure you, for now" he sighed, "I feel that I must be frank with you" he said, gravelly.

"Frank with me Professor?" Hermione frowned.

Dumbledore flicked his wand and a small vial filled with a floaty white substance and a wide and shallow dish made of metal flew from across the room and landed on the desk.

"You and I have much to talk about" Dumbledore said, "but I'm beginning to understand your character, Ms Evans, you won't supply an inch, if I don't move a mile first" he frowned.

He dramatically held up the small vial, "this is my mile"

"What is it?" Hermione questioned, having a rather strong idea.

"A memory" Dumbledore said.

"Whose?" She asked.

"It belongs to a man named Regan Marven, he use to work in the hall of prophecy" Dumbledore said. "Fifteen years ago, a new prophecy entered the hall and I have tirelessly worked to conceal it from the world. Unfortunately as you know my efforts failed over these past few months."

Hermione sat stock still, surprised that Dumbledore would hand over such information without any sort of deal from her end.

"A prophecy concerning you" Dumbledore gravelly said. "Of course at the time, I didn't know it was about you, that information I only figured out when you received your wand."

"My wand?" Hermione frowned.

"You may not believe me Ms Evans, but everything I have done, I have done for all our sakes."

Hermione paused, scrutinising a man she once thought of as utterly brilliant, "I believe that you believe that Professor" she conceded.

Dumbledore frowned but chose to stay quiet.

"How does my wand connect me to a prophecy?" She enquired

Dumbledore stared at her, the weight of the world in his blue eye. "Ms Evans, I don't need this memory" he said holding up the vial, "I bought it for verification purposes only. I know the prophecy word for word, have done so for fifteen years, it's rather difficult to forget."

Hermione stared right back, determined to get the final piece of the puzzle.

"What does it say?" She demanded.

Dumbledore paused for a moment, his eyes conflicted and his body rigid in defence, she was sure that he wouldn't tell her, that he wouldn't explain any of it but he surprised her.

"The prophecy, I believe to be referring to you is a rather complicated one" Dumbledore said, he heaved sighed and began to recite the one thing she'd been desperate to hear.

" _As darkness descends and evil expands,_

 _One shall be chosen to save the land,_

 _Of ancient Muggle descent, born from those without the spark._

 _The brother wand shall be their mark,_

 _With the anger of fate upon their head,_

 _destiny is re-written in their stead,_

 _Whilst he entered as the world came to a close,_

 _She entered as the New Year rose,_

 _Their power abundant, hope revives._

 _Two halves of a whole, neither can live whilst the other survives"_

 **}{—}{—}{**


	20. Chapter 20

_Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all have a wonderful time._

 _El_

 **}{—}{—}{**

Although the prophecy may have sounded complicated to someone who didn't know the real story, it made complete sense to Hermione. She'd pissed off fate and her punishment was to take on Harry's role as the chosen one.

"Is that why he stole Ollivander's register?" Hermione asked, " _The brother wand shall be their mark_?"

"Yes" Dumbledore gravely nodded, "the phoenix feather your wand contains comes from the same phoenix that provided Voldemort's wand its core - my Phoenix"

"Fawkes" Hermione nodded, she'd known that already, "if he knows it's me, then why attack everyone?" She demanded, "why attack Lily?"

"It was his only opportunity to get to you" Dumbledore explained, "you're within the walls of Hogwarts year round and the few weeks you go home, you're under protection."

"Protection?" Hermione frowned.

Dumbledore sighed, a look of guilt on his face. "I have had the best witches and wizards watching over you since the summer Ms Evans."

Hermione frowned, not in affront or displeasure, Dumbledore had done far worse but from disappointment at herself, she hadn't noticed anyone following after her.

"But why attack the whole village, why not just me?" She asked again.

"Because far too many things could have gone wrong with that and he wasn't sure which twin to kill"

"But he has the register?" Hermione said in confusion.

"And it would have greatly helped" Dumbledore smirked, "If Ollivander had ever entered you and your sister's wands to the register."

Hermione's eyes grew wide in surprise and a glint of admiration entered her eyes, "clever" she conceded.

"Not clever enough" Dumbledore frowned, "all Voldemort had to do was figure out which student wasn't on the register."

"But my wand's the key to separating me from Lily, without that piece of information, he can't figure out which one of us the prophecy refers to."

"Precisely" Dumbledore said.

"That's why you came to her aid" Hermione realised, "instead of mine, to confuse Voldemort and make him think that Lily's the chosen one."

"I came to Ms Evans' aid because she needed it." Dumbledore frowned "And you were under the protection of Dorcas, who I knew would die before she let anyone harm you."

Hermione frowned, Dorcas Meadowes had harmed her more than anyone this year.

"What now?" Hermione demanded. Things weren't given freely in Albus Dumbledore's world.

"I've given you a mile" Dumbledore said, "all I ask for is an inch in return" he smiled, "allow me to teach you."

Hermione leaned back in surprise, "teach me?" She questioned, "like Meadowes wanted too?"

"Dorcas had the right idea" Dumbledore agreed, "but the wrong teacher in mind"

"And you're the right teacher?" Hermione said with a raised a brow.

Dumbledore's blue eyes zeroed in on her, his easy manner instantly evaporating. "Voldemort is one of if not _the_ most powerful wizard alive and there is only one man in the entire world that he is afraid of - me." He said. "So whilst you may look at me and see an old man, I can assure you Ms Evans that I can not only defeat you but _teach_ you."

Hermione didn't disagree with those words, she'd never once questioned his abilities but his motives. He'd raised Harry to be a lamb to a slaughter and she wasn't going down the same way.

"You remind me of him" Dumbledore suddenly said.

Hermione raised a brow in confusion.

"Voldemort" Dumbledore clarified, "back when he was in school"

Hermione frowned, that monster was the last person she wanted to be compared to.

"Tom always thought he knew best, he was secretive and determined and brilliant" Dumbledore said "but broken" he frowned, "you're the same."

"I'm broken?" Hermione smirked.

"Most people are" Dumbledore shrugged, "but they mend the break and get on with life the best way they can. For Tom, destroying anything that reminded him of his perceived inferiority was how he chose to fix himself." He frowned "and for you, closing yourself off to the world, doing everything alone is how you're trying do it but Ms Evans you cannot win this war alone."

Hermione sighed, as much she hated it, Dumbledore was right. She'd fought in a war all alone once and she hadn't stood a chance.

"I'll give it a try" she conceded, "but" she added, "from now on, I want to know everything that involves me, like when I'm being watched."

Dumbledore frowned but nodded his head in agreement.

"And my family, they're going to be in danger." Hermione frowned.

"I've already taken steps to ensure your families safety" Dumbledore said, "but I'm afraid that once the school year is over, you will all need to go into hiding for the summer."

Hermione sighed but agreed.

"Is that everything?" He asked

"For now" Hermione conceded.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The lockdown lasted for twenty four hours, the following morning there was a notice up on the board, urging all students to go down to breakfast.

"She isn't up for it" Arlo frowned, her worried eyes on Marlene, who'd refused to get out of bed.

"we'll bring her back something" Hermione said.

Arlo's frown deepened but she reluctantly followed Hermione down to the common room.

The older Gryffindor's had come together to comfort the younger years, it was rather strange seeing seventh and sixth years walk down to breakfast with the younger kids, it reminded her of Fred and George Weasley trying to cheer up Nigel Wolpert after one of Umbridge's detentions.

"Do you think she'll get better?" Arlo asked as they walked down to breakfast.

"Better?" Hermione frowned, "no" she answered honestly, Dumbledore's words came to mind, a part of Marlene had been broken but with time, the break would mend, "she won't be the same Marlene but she will get through it" Hermione promised her.

"I still can't believe that Diana's gone" Arlo said quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

"She won't be the last" Hermione shrugged as they entered the Great Hall, whilst three House tables were relatively full, Slytherin House were nowhere to be seen.

"That doesn't provide me with a great deal of comfort" Arlo frowned.

"I wasn't trying to comfort you" Hermione admitted, "I was trying to tell you the truth."

Large hands suddenly wrapped around Hermione, pulling her into a hug. She froze up in surprise and then calmed down and returned the hug when she realised exactly who it was.

"I was so worried" Benjy said, pulling back from the hug.

"I'm alright" Hermione reassured him. "You?"

"I'm fine" Benjy said, "we hid out in the Three Broomsticks" he explained, "and you Arlo?" He asked, turning his blue eyes on the girl.

Instead of freezing up like she always did, Arlo just shrugged, tired and bleak "I'm fine" she answered him.

"That's good" Benjy said with a small smile.

"Can we sit down?" Hermione asked, "I'm starving."

The trio found seats halfway down the Gryffindor table.

"Don't you want to sit with Tiffany?" Arlo asked.

Hermione followed her gaze and realised that Tiffany was sat on the other end of the Gryffindor table, she'd completely forgotten about the girl.

"No" Benjy shook his head, "I want to have breakfast with my best friend."

Hermione smiled at him, she'd never admit it to him but she was glad to have Benjy there.

"Where are the Marauders?" Benjy suddenly asked, she knew what he really meant was where was Sirius.

"Peter's in the hospital-wing" She replied.

"And the other's?" Benjy pushed for an answer.

"Probably planning something" Arlo answered, "The Gryffindor's are desperate to get the Slytherin's back."

"It wasn't the Slytherin's that attacked us" Benjy frowned.

"It was as good as" Arlo snapped at him, "and they know it, which is why they can't show their faces."

"Maybe it's because they know they'll be attacked the second they leave their common room" Benjy rebutted, "even members of my own House want to hurt them."

"I don't blame them" Arlo scoffed, "Hufflepuff House lost countless members, someone should avenge them."

"When I come face to face with a Death Eater again, I gladly will" Benjy replied, "but attacking Slytherin House is not avenging them, it's just piling on the misery," He scowled.

"It's better than doing nothing" Arlo rebutted

"Can you both shut up?" Hermione demanded.

Surprise and then annoyance crossed their features.

"Sorry" she quickly added, "I just don't want to talk about this anymore."

"Whatever" Arlo shrugged, stabbing her egg with her fork.

Hermione sighed but chose to focus on her breakfast, the morning went by rather quickly after that, no one from Slytherin House showed up and neither did the Marauders.

"We bought you back some breakfast" Hermione told Marlene, placing the plate full of food by her bed, "if you don't eat anything, I'm going to go get Professor McGonagall" she warned Marlene.

It took a while but Marlene stirred out of bed and sat up, placing the plate on her lap. She didn't eat much but it was better than nothing.

"We're here to talk" Arlo said. She was sat on her own bed with a Charms textbook on her lap, it was Monday tomorrow, so classes would be back up but Hermione doubted that any Professor would ask for any homework due.

Marlene sighed and rose up from her bed, Hermione thought that she was heading for the bathroom but instead the girl stopped in front of her.

"I don't want to talk" she snapped, her usual immaculate hair was in desperate need of a wash, "I want to fight."

"We all do" Hermione said carefully.

"No" Marlene frustratedly shook her head, "I want to fight like you" she snapped, "I want you to teach me, so that what happened to Diana never happens again"

Hermione paused, taken aback. "I'm not a Professor Marlene."

"But you're better than most of the Professor's here!" Marlene growled, "you didn't see what happened, how they cut her down like it was all a game, they're going to do the same to all of us."

Hermione sighed, "I don't think that I'm the right person to teach you" she feebly said

"You don't get it!" Marlene yelled at her

"Marlene" Arlo softly cut in, her worried eyes going back and forth between the two girls.

"This was just the start" Marlene growled, "it's kill or be killed and if I'm going down, I'm going to do it with a wand in my hand" she glared at the two.

"Mar-" Arlo tried again but was cut off.

"Forget it" Marlene snapped, she stalked off to the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Arlo frowned at her, "you could have just said yes."

"I'm busy" Hermione replied, an uncomfortable weight on her chest, was she really too busy to give Marlene some duelling help? "I'll think about it" she quickly added, the last thing she needed was Arlo on her case as well.

 **}{—}{—}{**

The next morning was a Monday, so regardless of how Marlene, Sirius or the Slytherin's felt, no one could avoid classes.

With Lily and Peter in the hospital wing and Diana dead, Arlo and Marlene paired up, which meant that Hermione was left without anyone to sit next to for Charms.

When the seat beside her was taken she assumed it was Remus but was surprised to see it was in fact Sirius Black.

It had only been two days since she'd seen him but so much had changed in such a short amount of time.

"Hey" he uncomfortably smiled.

"I'm surprised that you want to sit next to me" Hermione said with a raised brow and an unamused demeanour, "I thought you'd carry on hiding away in your dorm room."

Sirius grimaced and opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Professor Flitwick walking in, "sit down, in your seats, all of you" he called out.

Hermione faced the front determined to ignore him, if she started yelling at him now, she'd never stop.

"I wasn't hiding" Sirius whispered but she paid him no mind. "I was trying to sort my head out, big difference."

"Mr Black" Professor Flitwick warned.

"Sorry, Professor" Sirius replied.

Hermione spent the hour of Charms class more focused on ignoring Sirius than doing any of the work. When the bell rang, she eagerly jumped up, grabbed her stuff and walked out of the door. Sirius however was determined and followed after her.

"Hermione" he called out, "Hermione!" He snapped, grabbing her wrist to keep her from moving.

Hermione glared at his hand and he instantly let go, a sheepish look on his face, "I just want a moment to explain" he frowned.

"Alright" Hermione growled, "explain why you opened your big mouth and told James what you saw" she heatedly whispered.

Sirius blanched, his face reddening with embarrassment, "this won't help my cause but he was never suppose to say anything"

"Sirius!" Hermione snapped

He opened his mouth but the sound of fighting suddenly caught both their attention.

The two shot each other a confused looks and slowly turned the corner to see a group of younger students, circled around two little Slytherins.

"Hey!" Sirius snapped, stalking towards the crowd, she was surprised to see how many wore yellow uniforms , it was rare to see Hufflepuffs unfairly fighting. "What do you think you're doing?" Sirius demanded, he looked furious, which took her aback. Since when did Sirius care about Slytherin House.

"They deserve it" snapped a young girl in Gryffindor red, Hermione recognised her as a third year.

"If you don't get your butts out of here, I'll teach you all a lesson that you'll never forget" Sirius growled. "Leave! Now!" The crowd dispersed, running in every direction possible.

When they were gone, Sirius helped the two Slytherin boys to their feet, they looked shaken up but unharmed.

Sirius leaned down so he was eye level with the shorter of the two boys and it was only then that the resemblance became apparent.

"Are you alright, Regulus?" He asked.

"I'm fine" Regulus Black frowned, brushing off his uniform, "they just took us by surprise"

"I told you not to walk around alone" Sirius sighed, helping the boy brush the dirt off of his uniform.

"I wasn't alone" Regulus replied, indicating the boy standing next to him, "but that didn't help much."

Sirius heaved a sigh, "I'll walk you to your next class."

Regulus shrugged him off with a scowl on his face, "I'm not a baby" he snapped, "I can take care of myself, let's go Michael." He curtly said, grabbing a hold of his friend's arm and quickly walking away.

"We can follow him" Hermione suggested, "and make sure he gets to his next class"

Sirius' eyes widened in surprise, "you don't have to" he frowned, "you'll be late"

"It's only History of Magic next" She shrugged "and you can explain yourself afterwards." She told him.

Sirius smiled at her, the tension leaving his shoulders. They followed after Regulus and his friend until they made it safely to Potions and then found an empty classroom to talk in, Hermione put up a silencing charm up and then turned to face Sirius.

She didn't want to admit, but if anyone else had given away information about her the way Sirius had, she'd never give them the time of day to explain themselves.

Sirius braced himself, squaring his shoulders as he faced her head on, "I tell James everything" he began, "he's the closest person in my life. I've never had a reason to keep anything from him, so when I was struggling to deal with….with what you did….I didn't think it through, I just told him." He admitted.

"So what? Every time that I do something, you'll run off and tell James?" She enquired.

"What? No!" Sirius snapped, "you've done a lot of questionable things that I've never once repeated." He shook his head, frustrated "but there's a big difference between sneaking out at night and using unforgivables, it took me a while to get over it"

"They were Death Eaters" Hermione scowled.

"I know that" Sirius sighed, "and it's not fair on you but I've spent years building up this image of you in my head and on most counts, you've been a thousand times better than the image I managed to conjure but you're not perfect Hermione." He sighed. "You're frustrating and getting you to talk about real things is near impossible. I have absolutely no idea what goes on in your head, you know how to do things that most grown adults can't, you performed those unforgivables without hesitation and _they were after you_." Sirius breathed, "I don't know why, but I'm not stupid and all of that was just going round and round in my head and James offered to talk and …and it just came out" he said ashamed.

Hermione heaved a sigh, running a hand through her curly hair, her life was a mess and it wasn't fair to drag Sirius into it. "I told you that I was complicated" she sighed

"And I love that about you" Sirius instantly replied.

Hermione took a step back in surprise, "you don't love me" she frowned.

"I love your weird, complicated, frustrating, brilliant personality" Sirius corrected with a smirk, "not you"

"Big difference" Hermione grinned, using his own words back at him.

Sirius snorted, a spark in his grey eyes.

"I like you" Hermione admitted to both of them for the first time, "but you have no idea what you're getting yourself in to with me."

"I know that Voldemort wants you dead" Sirius said gravely, "I'm no coward Evans" he said, "I'm not going to run for the hills because you have a target on your back, heck, we all do" he growled, "when Voldemort's done hunting down Muggles and Muggle borns, he'll move on to the Half bloods and the Blood traitors, I may not be number one on his list, but I am fucking on it" he snapped "regardless of whether or not I'm with you, I'm going to fight. I'd just rather do it by your side."

Hermione stood, shaken by his words, the guilt that she'd be destroying his life weighing heavy on her chest.

"I'm not going to run because I'm scared Hermione" Sirius said, "and I'll try my best not to but I am going to mess up" he shrugged. "You can either accept all that or not"

Hermione released a shaky breath, "can we just be friends for now?" She quietly asked.

Sirius frowned, disappointment in his grey eyes.

"Not forever" she rushed to say, "I just need time to think"

There was a long pause, where they both just stared at each other.

"Alright" Sirius nodded, "friends" he agreed, holding his hand out for her to shake.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the sight and stepped past his hand, wrapping her arms around his waist, "friends can hug" she said, her words coming out muffled as her face was buried against his chest.

 **}{—}{—}{**


	21. Chapter 21

**[]—[]—[]**

When Dumbledore had offered to train her, Hermione had presumed it would be in some sort of official capacity, with maybe a new schedule on her time table to replace one of her free periods and that it would take place in a class room.

It was more secretive than she'd been expecting

Instead of during the day, her first session, would be on a cold Friday evening. Instead of appearing in her schedule, a House-elf had accosted her with a small bit of parchment with a time and place written on it and instead of a class room, it was in the room of requirement.

"You have to be quicker than that Ms Evans." Dumbledore advised. He was stood on the other side of the room, wearing a bright blue robe that was in stark contrast to his current temperament.

He held his wand up and wordlessly sent a nasty looking purple hex her way. Hermione's shield instantly went up, just in time for the hex to collide with it, it shook on impact but it held against Dumbledore's attack.

Without a word, Hermione wordlessly shot back an Incendio and quickly followed it up with a Confringo. For an old man, Dumbledore was nimble, he ducked and dodged and without warning, Hermione was facing down numerous spells.

She side stepped the first, put her shield up for the second and kept it in place for the third, the fourth and the fifth.

Dumbledore raised a brow, she thought he was mildly impressed.

They'd been at it for two hours at least and whilst Hermione was starting to tire, Dumbledore looked just as he had when they'd entered the room.

Her spells were less effective when done silently but speaking out loud felt like a defeat of some sort on her part.

"Ms Evans, on the battle field, you won't just have one opponent, you cannot rely so heavily on your shield" he cautioned.

"Break through it and then you can lecture me" she quipped back, she was exhausted, her hair had fallen out of it's tightly held bun and her body was covered in sweat but Dumbledore had failed to land a single spell on her.

Years on the run in her past life had made fortifying her magical defences her number one priority, she doubted that even the killing curse could break through it but she'd never been willing to risk it to find out.

"I think that's enough for today" Dumbledore spoke. Hermione kept her wand up until Dumbledore lowered his, her lessons always stuck with her and once upon a time, constant vigilance had been hammered into her.

A small desk appeared in the middle of the room and Dumbledore inclined his head, silently telling her to take a seat. She sat down, thankful that the onslaught was truly over, Dumbledore sat across from her, a curious look on his face.

"I've always wondered how a Muggle born learns to duel as well as you Ms Evans?" He asked, "from what I saw, no amount of self teaching would be enough, your moves, your decision making, they were…instinctual, I see the same in Aurors who've spent years on the field."

Hermione shrugged, Albus Dumbledore could spend the rest of his life wondering about her secrets because she was taking them with her to her grave. Her method, her ingenuity of ripping apart time and space and creating a place for herself was perhaps the most dangerous thing to ever be created, too dangerous to ever even acknowledge that it occurred.

"You're certainly good but you have your faults" Dumbledore continued, "you rely far too heavily on your shield, it eats up too much of your magic" he frowned, "and it may be effective against school children but Tom will rip it to shreds."

Although she disagreed with him about her shield and it's capabilities, Hermione nodded in acceptance, she was a good fighter but she needed to be the best. Which got her thinking about someone else that wanted the same thing.

"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering if you'd ever thought of bringing back the duelling classes or giving more comprehensive classes on defence?" She asked him. Marlene had been badgering her non stop about teaching her but Hermione had finally gone back to work on her Horcrux tracker and she simply didn't have the time.

"I'm afraid not" Dumbledore replied, "the current curriculum is more than suitable."

"You mean the one were we never have the same defence teacher for more than a year, that curriculum?" She asked curtly.

"I said it was suitable, Ms Evans not perfect."

"But with a war out there don't you think that the students deserve better."

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as you seem to think it is Ms Evans." Dumbledore frowned, "Hogwarts has a school board that I must answer to and a Ministry that wants to pretend that everything is under control, even getting those temporary duelling classes was an uphill battle, I'm afraid after what happened there" he sent her a look, "it is simply unfeasible to do it again."

Hermione scowled, she remembered how hard Harry had found running Dumbledore's Army, how much time and energy it had consumed but those lessons had saved countless lives, including her own.

"I must say you're far more capable than I ever assumed, Ms Evans" Dumbledore complimented her.

"You always underestimate me Professor." Hermione frowned

"That's not a mistake that I shall be repeating." He promised. "We can conclude for the evening, I have some business to conduct outside of the school this week, but when I am ready, I shall send a House-elf with the timing of our next session."

"Yes, Professor" She agreed.

"And Ms Evan, I don't think I need to tell you but these sessions are a secret." He curtly said, his blue eyes zeroing in on her.

"I know Professor" She rolled her eyes, getting up from her seat and marching towards the door, no matter her previous relationship with Dumbledore, this younger version always put her on edge.

 **[]—[]—[]**

 **He Who Must Not Be Named Recruiting From Hogwarts!**

 **You Know Who Outsmarts The Ministry.**

 **Minister For Magic Eugenia Jenkins Must Go.**

 **Is It Time To Unleash The Unforgivables On This Dark Lord And His Army?**

Hermione sat in the room of requirement at her work desk, with the week's Daily Prophet Headlines scattered across the table.

It had only been a week since the attack on Hogsmeade but Voldemort had swiftly moved on to his next target, the Ministry were fighting back but they were terribly losing. Minister for Magic Jenkins had finally opened up talks about using the unforgivables but since the Hogsmeade attack her position had become untenable.

Harold Minchum was favourite to replace her and if history followed it's correct course then he would win and remain Minister for five years before being ousted. Minchum was tough as nails and he'd sent hundreds of people to Azkaban, it was under his tenure that trials for seemingly guilty people were done away with, in the end, his laws had condemned Sirius to twelve years in Azkaban.

Frustrated Hermione picked up the compass she'd been fiddling with for the past few months, it was the only device she could come up that could serve as a tracker but how she was going to use it, she had no idea.

Soul tracking was a very Dark Art, Morgana had tricked Arthur into willingly handing over a piece of his soul, why or how was lost to history but Morgana had used it to mark the rest of Arthur's soul and was able to track him and follow him to the ends of the earth.

Hermione already had a piece of Voldemort's soul right there at Hogwarts - Ravenclaw's diadem, but there were several pieces of Voldemort's soul all scattered across Britain. Hermione would first have to decipher how Morgana dd it and then she would have to tweak it too track souls that were no longer within the body or else it would be useless.

She tugged at her hair in frustration, _why did everything have to be so hard_? She wondered,

 **[]—[]—[]**

Hermione found herself oddly sat next to James in the common room, Lily and Peter were being let out of the hospital wing that evening and the Marauders had decided that the occasion demanded a party for the entire House.

The news had peaked the curiosity of the younger years and had bought a much needed lightness to the older lot, Marlene had opted out but Arlo was chatting away with Logan Cresna, the seventh year ring leader, in the corner.

Hermione had originally been talking to Sirius but he'd run off to the kitchens and demanded that James who'd been moping in the corner for some reason keep her company, and so Hermione found herself sitting in utter silence in front of the fire with a subdued James Potter.

He seemed oddly sad and if Hermione was a slightly more empathetic person, she may have asked what was wrong, but knowing him he would tell her and then she would be forced to figure out how to comfort him and she'd most likely screw it up, so for both their sakes, she kept quiet.

"Alright, you two?" Asked a voice and they both simultaneously looked up to see Tiffany Kim staring down at them.

"Not really" James sighed, a small frown on his face.

Tiffany sent Hermione a look and Hermione shrugged in response. She had no idea what was wrong with him.

"That's a shame" Tiffany frowned, "it's rare to you so down, Potter" she added with a small smile.

James heaved a sigh, brooding in his seat.

"Why don't I give you two the chance to talk?" Hermione suggested, jumping to her feet.

Tiffany shot her an incredulous look but Hermione ignored it in favour of dashing off. She made it halfway through the common room when Sirius suddenly stepped in front of her path, with a smug smirk on his face.

"How long have you been here?" She demanded, taken aback by his sudden appearance.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair, his smirk only growing, "a while" he shrugged, his grey eyes sparkling.

Hermione scowled at him, unamused. "You didn't think to come and save me?" She asked.

"James isn't that bad to deal with" Sirius grinned, "and seeing the calm Hermione flounder was priceless" he laughed.

Hermione gaped at him, her brown whisky eyes lighter than they had been all week, "I wasn't floundering" she flustered, "I was….giving him space."

Sirius' grin widened and he gently grabbed her hand and tugged her to a nearby seat, she didn't put up much of a fight, letting him drag her along, she sat down and Sirius took the seat next to her, draping his arm over her chair.

"James doesn't like space" Sirius informed her "he's a drama queen, he wants to be asked what's wrong so he can fill you in on whatever dagger pierced his heart."

"What is wrong with him?" Hermione asked, curious.

"Your sister sent him a Howler." Sirius laughed.

"What!" Hermione replied, "what did he do?"

"James got into some stupid incident with Snape and they ended up duelling in the hallway, both got a week's detention for it."

"She sent him a Howler over that?" Hermione wondered, Snape and Potter were always fighting.

"He may have also sent her a letter, explaining that the fight was in her name and for her honour."

"Honour" Hermione snorted, "what century is this?"

"James thought it was a clever idea, don't ask me why" Sirius shook his head, "Lily isn't even that hard to please, all he has to do is cut down on the pranks, stop hexing Snape every chance he gets and chuck a few sweet words at her that don't make her cringe and he's sorted."

Hermione raised a brow at him, "sorted?" She demanded, "Is that what you think of my sister?"

Sirius' eyes widened, he was clever enough to know that he was in dangerous territory.

"No" he rushed to say, "Lily's wonderful" he added, "I just meant that with her, he doesn't have to think outside the 'how girls usually react' box" he rambled.

"You're really not helping yourself" Hermione told him.

"I just mean that he doesn't have to work that hard to know what would make her happy or figure out what she's thinking." He shrugged.

"And you do?" Hermione frowned, picking up on the unspoken words.

"What did you think leaving you with James was all about" Sirius awkwardly admitted

"I thought it was about you going to the kitchens?" Hermione slowly replied.

"No, I sent Remus for that" Sirius answered, "you never tell me what you're thinking" he frowned, "so I'm trying to read your face to figure it out" he admitted.

Hermione's brows furrowed, "that's really strange." She told him.

Sirius sighed, his grey eyes darkening as their eyes connected "when you're annoyed, your eyes darken and your finger's twitch like you want to grab your wand but you know it would be too excessive" he told her "when you're angry, your jaw gets really tense and you grit your teeth" he continued, "those two looks I figured out pretty quickly because you get annoyed and angry a lot" he grinned. "The others are slightly harder, you smirk a lot when you're with me but I can't differentiate between your 'Sirius is such an idiot but he's really hot' smirk and your 'I like Sirius but I would die if I showed him it for even a single second' smirk."

"I don't have smirks like that" Hermione said, trying very hard to keep her lips pursed.

"You do" Sirius replied smugly, "but leaving you with James was to help me figure out your 'I want to be anywhere else but here' look"

"I wish you would put this much effort into your school work" Hermione said, trying to contain her grin.

"Schoolwork isn't as interesting as you" Sirius shrugged.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but a large cheer suddenly came from the gathered Gryffindors and she turned in surprise to see Lily and Peter walking through the portrait door. She instantly rose up and made her way towards the pair, she'd been to see them both a handful of times during their stay in the hospital wing and whilst Lily had dealt with it well, Peter had been downright miserable.

"Finally free" she grinned as she hugged them both.

"I am never going back" Peter scowled, surprised at the amount of attention he was getting.

"Enjoy it whilst it lasts" Sirius grinned, as a number of the younger students shoved them out of the way to meet Peter.

Lily grabbed onto Hermione's hand and clung to her as they manoeuvred their way across the common room.

"How bad were Mum and Dad?" Hermione dared to ask. Although their parents had been informed of the attack and Lily's condition and they'd been at her bedside whilst she'd been in St Mungo's, they hadn't been allowed entry into Hogwarts until this morning.

"Mum was fine" Lily replied, "Dad was a blubbering mess" she smiled.

"I can imagine" Hermione grimaced, their Mum had always been tough as nails but their Dad tended to crumble rather quickly.

"They kept asking about you" Lily frowned, "they wanted to see you"

"I was busy" Hermione uncomfortably replied, "did Petunia show up?" She asked

"She was busy" Lily replied, using Hermione's own words against her.

"Lily!" Arlo came out of nowhere, throwing her arms around Lily's shoulders. Lily hugged her back just as tightly. "I've missed you so much" Arlo cried.

"I've missed you too" Lily replied, pulling back from the hug.

"This one" Arlo said accusingly at Hermione, "has been no help with Marlene" she grumbled, "she even refused to help her learn how to duel"

"What?" Lily frowned, confused at the sudden news.

"She's just walked out of the hospital wing, Arlo" Hermione frowned, "at least give it a few hours before you start complaining about me"

"I wasn't complaining" Arlo frowned, "I was merely making her aware of the shit situation I have found myself in."

"Alright" Lily cut in, "I know the past week has been hard for the two of you but can we all just try and get along, for Marlene's sake if not for mine."

"We do get on" Arlo and Hermione simultaneously replied.

"We're best friends" Arlo added, throwing her arm around Hermione's shoulder.

Lily sent Hermione a look and Hermione merely shrugged, Arlo and Lily could argue over the best friend title but it belonged to Benjy.

"Fill me in on everything I've missed" Lily demanded as the trio found an empty table by the windows.

"There really isn't much to tell" Arlo frowned, "Meadowes may not be coming back"

"I read about that in the Prophet" Lily said, her eyes straying to Hermione, "I suppose its not that surprising, the Ministry needs every available Auror working to catch that monster."

"Dumbledore is giving a speech tomorrow" Arlo continued.

"Why?" Lily frowned.

"Unity" Hermione informed her, "things haven't been easy for Slytherin House since the attack."

Lily frowned, "Severus didn't say anything"

"I can't believe that you're still friends with him" Arlo grumbled.

Lily faltered, surprised at the sudden attack. "What does Severus have to do with anything?" She demanded.

"You read the Daily Prophet" Arlo shot back, "You Know Who is recruiting from Hogwarts and there's only one House that would even think of joining him."

"Those are unsubstantiated rumours" Lily snapped, "not a single Slytherin has the Dark Mark"

"Oh yeah, because they'd all brand themselves whilst still at school" Arlo rolled her eyes, "they'll wait till they leave Hogwarts for that but a brand isn't needed to believe in his crap and they all do, including Snape."

Lily glared at her but had no reply to Arlo's accusation.

"Severus isn't a Death Eater" Hermione spoke up, "and it isn't fair of you to accuse him of being one"

"I'm not going to wait until I see him kill someone" Arlo growled, "like Levi or Diana" she added, "I'm staying away from all those snakes and if you were both clever, you would do the same" she snapped, rising up from her seat and storming off.

Lily sent Hermione a puzzled look, "how bad is everything?" She asked.

Hermione heaved a sigh unsure of how to answer, "Slytherin House is pretty much everyones favourite target now" she replied, "They walk in large groups everywhere because if they're found in pairs or on their own they're guaranteed a trip to the hospital wing, even Slughorn's on edge and Sirius escorts his brother to each one of his classes although he doesn't actually realise it"

"Sirius has a brother?" Lily asked with eyes wide.

"He's a third year Slytherin" Hermione answered.

"Wow" Lily breathed, "I had no idea"

"He doesn't talk much about his family" Hermione shrugged.

"Must be hard on him" Lily frowned, "I know how much he hates the Slytherins, he must have been disappointed over his brother's sorting"

"Maybe" Hermione shrugged, not wanting to get into a discussion about Sirius family, "so tell me about James and this howler" she demanded.

Lily's eyes grew wide in surprise and her face flushed red, "it's not as bad it sounds" she laughed, "and he deserved it"

"I never said he didn't" Hermione grinned, "tell me everything"

 **[]—-[]—[]**

 _Fanfic wise this year has been really interesting. July 26, less than a week to mine and Harry's and JK's birthday, I convinced myself to just post a story and see how it goes._

 _The response I received exceeded my expectations, your reviews and your PMs and your Tumblr messages, have been just wonderful and now five months later we've reached 21 chapters and over 700 reviews._

 _To all of you, I wanted to say thank you. To everyone who has felt somewhat invested in this story, to everyone who has communicated with me in some way and to my beta who hasn't received a chapter to beta in weeks because the past few weeks have been so hectic that I post without sending it to her, which must get rather frustrating._

 _Thank you to all of you._

 _My New years resolution for 2017 was to post a fanfiction story, my 2018 New years resolution is to finish this bloody story._

 _Happy New Year Everyone._

 _El_


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